


Whatever You Wish For, You Keep

by juice817, ObsessedOne (semaphoredrivethru), semaphoredrivethru



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: Community: j2_everafter, First Time, M/M, fairytale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-02
Updated: 2014-04-25
Packaged: 2018-01-20 17:30:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 28,378
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1519193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juice817/pseuds/juice817, https://archiveofourown.org/users/semaphoredrivethru/pseuds/ObsessedOne, https://archiveofourown.org/users/semaphoredrivethru/pseuds/semaphoredrivethru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cinderella.  J2 style.  Features evil step-persons, magic and Eric Kripke as Sir Not Appearing In This Film.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [](http://j2-everafter.livejournal.com/profile)[**j2_everafter**](http://j2-everafter.livejournal.com/). Beta by [](http://strippedpink.livejournal.com/profile)[**strippedpink**](http://strippedpink.livejournal.com/), because she was just as impatient as we were to post this, and [](http://shinywhimsy.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://shinywhimsy.livejournal.com/)**shinywhimsy** , because she is the awesomest cheerleader ever! *SMOOCH* Also, we wrote this in an eight-day period that didn’t have us writing every day because of RL, and it’s kind of astounding that we came out with this much that we are this proud of. Oh, and Obi wants to say that the name Chace is the stoopidest fucking name ever.
> 
> **Rating:** Adult Audiences Only. This is NOT your kid sister’s Disney.  
>  **Disclaimer:** This is a work of fiction, based off of other works of fiction and the pervy idea that two guys who happen to live and work together might be screwing like crazed weasels. We’re not saying this actually happened, and if you think it did, you so need to share the drugs.  
>  **Warnings:** Disney-worthy schmoop. A fairy godmother with enough magic to get Jared into thigh-high leather boots. Abuse of a childhood classic.

_Originally posted January 19, 2009._

~*~*~*~  


When Jared was very young, his mother got very sick and died.

He knew this, because his father told him as soon as Jared was old enough to ask about it. He doesn't really remember his mother, not much more than a hazy memory of being held close by someone soft and gentle, humming a beautiful tune that Jared still can't quite place to this day. So Jared missed his mother, but only in an abstract kind of way, since his father made sure that the two of them were fine without.

Jared's father was the best a boy could have wished for, even if he did work a lot and was tired most days during the week. His father said that was how he kept them living in their nice neighborhood, in the big, beautiful house that was too big for them, even with all the servants. On the weekends, though, Jared and his father did all the things a boy and his father would do, developing their own language of jokes and looks.

And then, when Jared was about nine, his father started going out late on Fridays, sometimes not coming back until Saturday or Sunday. Jared's feelings were hurt at first, but then his father explained that he was trying to get Jared a new mother. As far as Jared was concerned, he was doing just fine without a mother, but his father had always known best. So Jared spent hours and hours in those lonely weekends with just Mrs. Ferris, the housekeeper, for company and daydreaming about his new mother and how perfect and beautiful she would be. She wouldn't want to go hiking with him and his father, but she could teach Jared how to cook and how to dress, and maybe, just maybe, she would have a voice for singing.

One day, Jared's father announced that he had found Jared's new mother, and brought her home to live with them. There was going to be a big party to celebrate them getting married, Mrs. Ferris said, and the big, big house was full to bursting with people and planning the day that Dawn came home.

Dawn had shining hair of golden blond that reminded Jared of sunlight, and a delicate, heart-shaped face. Wearing a dark blue suit with white on the edges, she had long nails, painted a bright shade of red that matched her lips. She was beautiful and looked exactly like how Jared had pictured a successful, smart woman to be, because of course that would be the kind of woman his father would choose as Jared's new mother. He just knew right then and there that Dawn was going to be the best mother since Jared's own.

Just before Jared could hug his new mother, though, two boys came in to the house behind her. They were both about Jared's age, with dark hair and perfect clothes, and from the way they looked up at Dawn, Jared knew they were her sons. Which meant, wonder of wonders, that Dawn already knew how to be a mother, and that Jared's father had been wonderfully right yet again.

At first Dawn was a little cool toward Jared, but that was okay. He knew things would be fine once they all got used to each other. And Jared felt bad, having his room all to himself while Chace and Ed, Dawn's sons, had to share one, but it was only temporary until they could turn the spare office into a proper bedroom for Chace. So they all started to learn to live together and if Chace and Ed picked on Jared or tripped him when no one was looking, well, Jared never said anything. It meant too much to his father and Dawn that they got along.

One Monday morning - Jared remembered it was a Monday, because he never really liked them since - he woke up very early, even though it was summer time and he didn't have school. Since it was so early, Jared got dressed and went downstairs to have breakfast with his father. Dawn, Chace, and Ed had been living with them for six months, and Jared and his father hadn't had many chances to be together since then, so it was nice to sit there in the kitchen, Jared with his orange juice and his father with his coffee, chatting about nothing until it was time to go.

Jared's father stood and ruffled Jared's hair, telling him how proud he was of the man Jared was becoming, and kissed the top of Jared's head before picking up his briefcase and heading out the door. Jared followed, peering out the glass panes next to the door, watching his father, so big and strong and wonderful, walking toward his car in the driveway. He stopped for a moment, glanced back to the house and waved, and Jared waved back, grinning happily.

And then, suddenly, Jared's father collapsed right in the middle of the walkway.

There were sirens and Dawn crying and hard, uncomfortable chairs in the emergency room, and then there was the doctor, so sad and sorry-looking, and Dawn crying even harder, clinging to Chace and Ed while the doctor turned to Jared and explained, very gently, that his father was dead.

A week after the funeral, Dawn had Jared's things moved to the dusty attic room, and gave Chace Jared's old room. She said it was easier and less expensive than remodeling the office, especially since she was going to have to work extra hours from home now that Jared's father had gone and left them all alone. Jared tried to say that he'd be willing to share a room, but Dawn had yelled at him and told him not to talk back to her, since she was his mother and all he had left in the world.

After that, Jared spent much more time in the kitchen with Mrs. Ferris. She was tiny and couldn't sing very well, but she still hugged Jared tight when missing his father got to be too much.

~*~*~

Jensen slouched into the sofa, pretending to examine his manicure while his father ranted at him. Again.

"You cannot party your life away, Jensen, you need to _finish school_ and learn how to be a part of this company! It doesn't run itself, you know, and you must be prepared to take over when I die. And don't even try to tell me that everyone else is doing it, Jensen. You are not Paris Hilton." Alan paused, and added in an undertone, "You are much smarter, much richer and much better-looking. And have a lot more class."

Jensen raised an eyebrow at that. "Come on, Dad, I'm twenty. There's plenty of time to learn the business, and those idiot professors don't know your business the way you do anyway."

Alan snorted. "Don't try to butter me up. You know we have a board, Jensen - that we're answerable to other people. You also know they can choose someone else if you don't have both the paper that says you graduated and the qualifications to back it up." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair before sitting down behind his desk. "Son, I just want you to grow up, take a little responsibility for your life. I want you to find someone and settle down, I want you to be happy so you'll stop flitting around and spending all my money."

"If you'd give me my stupid trust, I could spend my own money instead of yours." Jensen folded his arms and glared at his dad, even though Alan's words curled uneasily in his mind. He really did want to make his dad proud, to take over the business and make it even better. But what if Dad was wrong and he really _wasn't_ smarter than Paris? He wanted to find someone even though both he and his dad knew that meant some _man_. But what if no one ever looked past the money? Jensen thought a little wistfully that the right man would adopt with him, then quickly shut that thought away. He didn't want kids, he wanted his money and a party and a lot of fun. He was _only twenty_.

Alan sat back and looked at Jensen consideringly. "You do know there's a proviso in the terms of your trust that allows access to a percentage of the funds in the event of a marriage or domestic partnership, right?"

Jensen sat up straight and glared at his father. "You're joking. You're _not_ joking, you're serious and you never told me?"

"You're the one who demanded copies of all the legal documents when you turned eighteen, Jensen. I assumed that meant you wanted to actually _read_ them."

Waving a dismissive hand, Jensen stood, and this time it was his turn to pace while his father sat smirking behind the desk. "So, just to make sure I understand. If I marry or have a partner, I can access some of my trust _before_ I'm ancient? How much?"

"Thirty-five is not ancient, Jensen. Twenty-five percent. And since I know you aren't going to marry, let me be clear. This doesn't mean just 'hooking up' with some guy long enough to get the money. The partnership caveat is a little trickier, because it's not legally documented the way a marriage is, and not nearly as easy to fake. I have the final call. I must be convinced that you are actually settling down and in a relationship before I'll sign off on it. And that takes us right back to where we started, Jensen. School. Your degree. Cutting back on the wild parties. Taking responsibility for yourself. You're a smart kid, and I know you're restless. Concentrate on finishing school to give yourself purpose, and find someone to love you the way your mother loved me. Someone to share your life with, Jensen, and make it a life worth sharing."

Jensen's chest tightened and he stopped listening. He knew his dad meant well, meant what he said, but god. He was so tired of the constant nagging! He just wanted to enjoy his youth, and have his dad back the fuck off. He'd find someone eventually, and he'd take over the business eventually and it would be awesome to be a grown up, but just... not right now. "Fine. You're right. Whatever. Are we done here?"

Alan sighed and slumped in his chair. "Sure, son," he said quietly. "I guess we are."

"Great!" Jensen nearly sneered, but stopped himself in time. "I'll just go form a study group, then." He sighed dramatically. "So much homework, so little time." He strode out of the room, mind racing. He could live on twenty-five percent, easy. It would mean less parties, sure, but Dad was still paying all the credit card bills anyway - the accountants just paid everything and Dad never even saw it unless the suits had a question. He just had to find someone to hook up with long enough to convince his dad it was real. That shouldn't be a problem. He was, as his dad had said, good-looking and rich. And if all else failed, he'd just pay someone to fake it. Then he'd have his money and be able to find a little something cozy where he could live without his dad breathing down his neck. He'd finish school eventually, on his own terms, and then step into his father's shoes at the company. Everything would be perfect.

Chris and Steve, naturally, nearly hurt themselves laughing when Jensen told them on the way to yet another party that night. Steve was the first to gain enough composure to actually say something. "Jenny, you're gonna get a boyfriend? Awwwww."

Chris kicked him and then they both started laughing again.

"Not helping, assholes." Jensen gritted his teeth and took a sharp breath in through his nose. "Look, I just have to convince my dad that I want to live with the guy for the rest of my life, and then he'll let me have my money. Once I have it, I'll tell him it didn't work out with whomever. Marriages end all the time, so why shouldn't I be able to dump my _life partner_?"

"Now that's the truth, Jenny." Chris took a breath that shook with the remnants of laughter. "And you know, I bet you could convince the dude not to say anything if you have a little fun on the side. I mean. He'll essentially be a trophy wife, and who's even faithful any more anyway? You'll buy him fancy presents and let him spend your dad's cash, and then you could fool Dad even longer. I mean, make him happy or some shit. So he thinks you're in love. And you'll get your trust and get to live your own life the way you want to. Everyone wins."

"Everyone wins," Jensen echoed, and smiled. This plan was totally going to work. Next step, find a pretty boy to help. Because Jensen was going to have to fake being all stupid in love with the dude, and his dad knew him well enough to know he would never fall for someone ugly. Besides. He was going to have to look at the guy a lot for the foreseeable future. He wasn't about to settle for less than stunning.

~*~*~

Dawn Ostroff-Padalecki breezed in through the front door of her house, eyes skipping unpleasantly across the stack of incoming mail with red stamps saying things like "FINAL NOTICE" on them. She handed her briefcase to Samantha, and tracked dirt from the half-finished landscaping outside across the foyer, even though Jared was still on the other side of the hall, on his hands and knees as he worked to buff the marble floor to perfection. Everything needed to be perfect in Dawn's house, and since Jared knew that, he just sighed, grabbed a broom and dustpan and went to work.

"Boys!" Dawn hollered, voice echoing shrilly throughout the mansion. "Boys, my office now!"

Ed was there first, of course, since he probably wasn't doing anything more exciting than homework, anyhow, and Dawn made him stand there in the office while they waited for Chace to arrive. Dawn always did hate to repeat herself. But once both boys were there and the door closed securely so the servants couldn't eavesdrop, Dawn started pacing.

"Alan Ackles has been looking into domestic partnership law," she said, frowning. She'd been trying to seduce her employer for years now, but the stubborn bastard refused to forget his dead wife.

"Maybe that's why he's been ignoring you, mother," Chace laughed, but stopped when Dawn glared at him.

"His only son is as fruity as Ed," she snapped, ignoring the way that her younger son blushed bright red. "And since I was the notary on the boy's trust papers, I also know there's a partnership proviso in place. If Jensen Ackles finds his true love, then he and his little buttbuddy have access to twenty-five percent of a fortune that the three of us can only hope to dream of."

Chace laughed, an unattractive snort that Dawn had been trying unsuccessfully for years to browbeat out of the boy. "Ed, it looks like we've finally found a use for you!"

"What? I... but, I mean, I'm with someone," Ed stammered.

"If you mean your posters of Ricky Martin," Chace sneered.

"Enough!" Dawn cut in. "I need the both of you to work on this."

"Mother!" Chace said, face turning sheet white. "I'm not even gay! Let Ed do it!"

"I don't care," Dawn snapped. "If you two want to keep this lovely little life we have going here, _one_ of you is going to have to bag the little slut. The market ate up most of what was left of the trust fund, and since we can't sell off Jared, we're going to have to do something drastic. Do I make myself clear?" She pinned each of her sons with a hard look, daring them to fight her on this.

Chace and Ed looked at each other, and then looked at Dawn, their shoulders slumped, and Dawn knew she had won. "Yes, Mother," they said in unison, and Dawn smiled.

"Now then," she said, finally sitting down at her desk. "I have a few details about Jensen from some sources, so let's see what we can do to get this ball rolling, shall we?"

~*~*~

Jensen tracked down Chris at the bar and tried to hide behind him without actually looking like he was hiding, which was even more ridiculous than it seemed because he was taller than Chris. "Dude, that Ed kid won't leave me alone. He's never paid any attention to me whatsoever other than to say hi or whatever, but tonight he's sort of, I don't know. _Stalking_ me. And the weird part is, he won't actually look at me and clearly wants to be anywhere else."

Chris choked on his drink and started laughing. Jensen pursed his lips and wondered when that became Chris's standard response to everything. Because really, it wasn't always funny. Chris noticed Jensen's annoyance and tried to sober himself. "Look, this could be your answer, Jen. Ed's sort of shy and quiet, and he'd totally do whatever you told him to. He's not your usual type, so your dad would have to believe you're in love with him if you're hooking up with him."

Jensen pondered this while he sipped at his drink, then sighed. "I don't know. I actually sort of hoped for some sex with the guy, and I just can't - he's not ugly, but he's not, I don't know. My type. And I have to be able to fake it with him around Dad, you know?"

"God, Jen, you really are shallow, aren't you?"

Jensen stiffened defensively. "Well. I have to look at the guy, Chris, and I have to make with the PDAs around Dad. I have to act all googly eyed, for Christ's sake! I may be doing this to get _my_ money but I'm not going to just hook up with some random _troll_ for it. If I have to do this shit, I'm going to damn well _enjoy_ it."

Chris shrugged a shoulder, but his eyes were still laughing. "Whatever. Ed's brother is a pretty princess."

"Oh, whatever, Chace isn't even gay." But Jensen's eyes wandered over to where Chace and Ed were having a heated discussion against one wall. Chris was right. Chace was _really_ pretty.

"Do you know that for sure? Just because he was sucking face with Blake almost as soon as he got here doesn't mean he won't let you shove your dick up his ass if you give him access to your Dad's American Express card." Chris smirked. "She even has a boy's name, maybe he's pretending the name matches the plumbing."

"You are so crass." Jensen rolled his eyes and glared at Chris. But... maybe. His eyes wandered over Chace again. Maybe.

Almost as if he could tell Jensen was watching him from across the room, Chace looked up and caught his eye, a smug look flickering across his face for a moment before he smiled. Then he pushed away from the wall, nudging Ed out of his way, and headed straight for the bar. Chace brushed past Jensen and leaned over the bar for a beer. Chris smirked at Jensen as though to say _Told you so_ , and then somehow faded off into the crowd, leaving Jensen standing there with no one to hide behind.

"Hey," Chace said, wrapping his lips around the mouth of his bottle like he knew what he was doing. "S'up?"

Jensen let his eyes wander over Chace again, from close range this time, and lifted his glass to his lips. He pondered a multitude of responses ranging from obtuse to obscene before smiling and saying suggestively, "Nothing. Yet." He smirked and let the scotch fill his mouth, holding it on his tongue for a moment before swallowing it. "Having fun, Chace?"

Chace shrugged. "Not really," he said, taking another drink and licking his lips slowly.

"I'm sure Blake would be crushed to hear that." Jensen raised an eyebrow and lifted his gaze from Chace's mouth to his eyes. "Did you lose her in the crowd, or is she waiting for you somewhere?"

"Blake has probably moved on to half of the lacrosse team by now," Chace said, shrugging. He hesitated, then sighed, like he was giving in about something. "Not that I can blame her. All that running gives them amazing tight ends."

Jensen choked on the next swallow of scotch and managed, barely, not to laugh. "Yes, I suppose it does. You've noticed their, ah, _tight ends_ , Chace? I wasn't sure you swung that way." Jensen moved a little closer and reached out to run his fingers lightly up Chace's arm. "It's a pity I'm not a runner, but I keep my end tight enough."

Chace swallowed heavily, even though he wasn't drinking any more. "Yeah, sure, I noticed," he said, holding deathly still before almost forcefully relaxing his body, leaning a little closer to Jensen. "And I swing whatever way is hottest."

"Clearly you don't swing often," Jensen said dryly, but he moved into Chace until they were pressed together chest to knees. "But I'm definitely hottest, and I'll be gentle." He bent his head and his next words were breathed right into Chace's mouth. "Would you like to swing with me, Chace?"

"Sure," Chace said, even though he didn't move from the spot. "Sounds good."

Jensen laughed softly. "Riiiiight," he drawled, but he closed that last hint of distance anyway, taking Chace's mouth in a determined kiss. He still held his glass in one hand but his other tangled in Chace's hair, tugging lightly to coax Chace into just the right angle. Chace's response was slow in coming and when it did, it was awkward. Jensen laughed again and pulled away, giving Chace a sardonic look. "Generally if you're interested, you're a little more responsive, honey. Thanks anyway." He turned to leave.

"Wait," Chace said, grabbing Jensen's arm and tugging him back. "You just surprised me, is all," he added, even though it was a bullshit excuse and even Chace knew it, by the look on his face. "It's just... I've never slept with a dude before. That's all. Even you had to be a virgin once, right?"

"I wasn't going to fuck you here," Jensen said, but he let himself be tugged back against Chace. He raised an eyebrow. "Your brother was stalking me all night, Chace, even though I've almost never seen him at one of these parties and he clearly wants to be somewhere else. And now you're here, and your mouth says you want to play but your body isn't quite on board. What are you two up to?"

Chace frowned, but deliberately locked his arms around Jensen's waist, holding him there. "Ed's a clumsy fucker," he said with a roll of his eyes. "We were trying to find out if you were with anyone. I'm still new at this going gay shit, so excuse me if I don't kiss back right away. Didn't expect it to be that damn good."

Jensen was torn between disbelief and a certain smug satisfaction, but he was buzzed, and perhaps had found the boy toy who would help him take control of his inheritance. Or part of it, anyway. So he contented himself with a disbelieving snort and bent his head to lick along Chace's bottom lip. "Just for the record," he murmured, "I'm never with anyone."

"Oh," Chace said, tilting his head slightly to give Jensen more room. "Well, you think anyone could ever change that?"

"Someone probably could," Jensen said absently. He put his glass down on the bar behind Chace and cupped his head in both hands. "C'mon, Chace. I saw you kissing Blake. This isn't that different and you clearly knew what you were doing with her. And I definitely know what I'm doing with you, so. Relax. Let me blow your mind."

Chace shook his head, but still said, "Sure. Why not?" as he leaned in and kissed Jensen, tracing his tongue along the space between Jensen's lips, as though he'd actually have to coax Jensen to kiss back.

~*~*~

On Jared's fourteenth birthday, Mrs. Ferris (or, as she started insisting he call her when he hit eighteen, Sam) brought home a couple of dogs that Jared promptly named Harley and Sadie because those were obviously their names. She had talked Dawn into letting the dogs stay as guard dogs, but Sam and Jared both knew Harley and Sadie wouldn't hurt a fly. Jared had raised them too gently, giving them all the love no one else but Sam would take.

One of Jared's favorite things to do was to talk to Harley and Sadie, because he knew they completely understood him, and he'd gotten pretty good at translating their responses. It was what he was doing, hiding out behind the garden shed, when Chace had a friend over one Sunday afternoon in the middle of October, and Jared was doing his best not to exist, which was pretty much the standing order whenever Chace had someone around.

"I wish I could be somewhere else," Jared told Harley, who cocked his head quizzically, and looked around the garden. The three of them were lying in the sunlight in the only place that was properly hidden from the house. "No, I mean, like in another life."

Sadie whined softly and nosed at Jared's hand. "Of course I'd have you two with me," he said, petting Sadie gently. "You're my best friends, and I couldn't imagine any life, not even a dream one, without you both." Harley and Sadie wagged their tails, thumping them in the dirt. "I just know there's so much more out there than this, hiding from my idiot step-brother and his rich, spoiled friends. I can't imagine what they see in him, though. If I were rich, I'd think I'd enjoy the luxury of being able to pick my friends."

Harley huffed at that, and Jared hurried to pet him. "That's true, I guess when you have a connection with someone, it just works like that. Still, Chace is such an asshole; who would feel connected to _him_?"

"The boy who currently has his tongue down Chace's throat, it seems," Sam said, and Jared twisted to look up at her.

"Chace isn't gay," Jared said. "Ed is."

"For a straight boy, he sure acts differently," Sam said with a smirk. "Now get up and go get cleaned off. I need some help in the kitchen if we're going to have none other than Alan Ackles's son over for dinner."

The last name sounded vaguely familiar, but Jared just shrugged it off as he sat up and gave each of the dogs a few loving pats. "Talk to you guys later," he said as he stood, towering over Sam. Sadie gave his fingers a lick while Harley headbutted his thigh, and he smiled and followed Sam into the house. "Think I can get away with using the downstairs bathroom?" he asked her. "The hot water still isn't working in mine."

Sam shook her head, lips pressed into a thin line. "You go right on ahead. I'll call Jim up and see if he can't come by while _She's_ at work tomorrow. Get that fixed for you."

"You don't have to," Jared said. "I know money's a little tight lately."

"Money's been tight since _She_ came here," Sam muttered. "Don't you worry about it, sweetie. Jim owes me a couple of favors, anyhow."

Knowing better than to argue with Sam, Jared just headed right to the downstairs bathroom, turning on the water and washing his face and hands as quickly as he could. The hot water felt great, especially after the ice-cold shower he'd had that morning, but as soon as the dirt was gone from under his nails, Jared turned it off, reaching under the sink for a paper towel. The last time he'd used one of the good towels, he'd been on table scraps for a week.

Opening the door, Jared nearly ran into someone. "Sorry!" he said, looking down and deliberately hunching his shoulders in an effort to minimize his height. "I'm sorry, I should have been more careful."

"It's okay," Ed said, and pressed a gentle hand against the small of Jared's back, propelling him down the hall and closer to the servants' area of the house. "Jared, you shouldn't be here. You know how Mother gets upset when company sees you."

Jared relaxed a bit; as they'd gotten older and Ed had become another target for Chace, they'd come to an understanding of sorts, and Jared knew he was safe enough with Ed. "I needed to wash up to help with dinner," he explained. "Sam's making something special since Chace's boyfriend is here. And since when is your brother into guys, anyway?"

Ed glanced over his shoulder, as though to make sure they were alone. "We're broke," he said finally. "Mother's spent everything your dad left her, and most of what he left you, too. There's nothing left, and Jensen's got a trust fund that makes it all look like a drop in the bucket. And I'm not his type."

"So Chace is... what, pretending to be gay?" Strangely enough, that was the part that bothered Jared the most. He'd long since figured out that anything his father might have left him had found its way into Dawn's pocket book, but that she'd whore her sons out seemed like an all-new low, even for her. "That's... insane."

"It's none of your fucking business," Chace said, coming around a corner. "Ed, when _are_ you going to stop talking to the help, anyhow?"

Deciding it was getting more than a little crowded in the hallway, Jared slipped through the swinging door and all but bolted for the kitchen. Chace had always made him nervous, but over the past few years, Jared had gotten more and more worried that Chace might actually be dangerous one of these days. Although he'd probably never be smart enough to be more than just a bully, since Jared was pretty sure Harley could have scored higher on the SATs than Chace had.

Finally in the kitchen, and as safe as he could get since both Dawn and Chace avoided that room like the plague, Jared found Sam, peering out the back windows, smiling.

"Well, I'll be," she said, and turned to Jared, waving him over. "You've got to see this."

Jared came to the window and peered out. The first thing he saw was the guy that must be the one with all the money. _Jensen_. The second thing he saw were the dogs, slowly walking towards him like they were giving him a chance to say hello and prove he wasn't as much of a douche as his boyfriend. Jensen knelt on the ground, bringing himself down to eye-level with the dogs, and held out a hand, palm-up, once the kids were close enough to sniff him. Harley, always the bolder of the two, gave Jensen a cautious sniff before edging closer, nudging his hand with a duck and a toss of his head that Jared knew meant _scratch behind my ears, would you?_ , and it seemed that Jensen got that memo, too, because he went right to work scratching the sweet spot behind Harley's left ear.

Sadie, seeing that Harley was getting love, moved in then, pressing her solid body against Jensen's side and nuzzling his shoulder. Jensen turned a bit to pet her back, and Jared couldn't help but notice how very attractive Jensen was. It made a little more sense that Chace was willing to play this game if it was with someone that good-looking. But Jared had also seen enough in his life to know that beauty meant nothing if the inside was rotten.

Sadie rolled over onto her back and Jensen started scratching her, grinning in a crooked and gentle way that made Jared's heart clench. When Harley actually _licked_ Jensen's face, making Jensen laugh, Jared actually _sighed_. The outside packaging was always nice to look at, but it was what was inside of a person's heart and soul that really mattered, and what Jared could see right then and there was absolutely stunning.

"I think I'm in love, Sam," he said, sighing again.

Sam laughed, shaking her head as she walked away to get back to work on dinner. "Dream on, Jared," she said.

"Dreams are all I have," he shot back, still watching Jensen as he stood up, gave the dogs a few more scratches, and headed back into the house.

"Yeah, well, you've got a dinner to help me with right now, so get on over here," Sam said, and when Jared finally turned back to her, she was giving him that sweet, motherly smile he'd known since childhood. "I need things from the top shelf again."

~*~*~

It was not at all unusual for Alan to stay late at the office, or even to have appointments for dinner time or later. Sometimes his secretary stayed and sometimes she didn't. Alan sent her home and left his door open, so that when the investigator he'd hired arrived, the man could simply walk right in. He handed Alan a file folder and sat in the chair facing Alan's desk. "You won't like this, Alan."

Alan looked up from the folder he'd been skimming. "Tell me what you found, Misha. I can read the details later."

Misha nodded and shifted to tug the trench coat out from under himself enough that he could slip his arms out of it. "All indications are that Chace is straight. He's never really even hung out with other boys, much less dated one before. He's always, according to class mates, seemed much more comfortable around women. It's entirely possible that he's genuinely experimenting with your boy; Jensen is a beautiful young man. But I'm inclined to doubt it. I found some mutual acquaintances of both boys that say that at the party when Jensen first started this relationship, Jensen was approached multiple times by Chace's brother Ed, who is unquestionably gay. Ed isn't Jensen's type, everyone agrees on that, and after being rebuffed several times, Ed was spotted whispering furiously with Chace. Which is when Chace approached Jensen. That smacks of conspiracy to me."

Alan nodded, fingers gripping the edge of the folder tightly. "Sounds suspicious to me as well. I know what I pay Dawn, what else were you able to find out about her financial situation?"

"She's on the verge of collections, behind on nearly every financial obligation she has. She's completely spent everything Gerald Padalecki left within her reach and has even managed to spend much of his son Jared's inheritance, which she shouldn't have been able to touch. If Jared were to file any sort of legal complaint, she would quite probably end up serving jail time. But I don't think Jared even realizes he might have options, poor kid. He seems happy enough, but the way he's treated is inexcusable."

Eyes widening, Alan straightened in his chair. "Treated? What do you mean? Isn't he off at college somewhere? I always assumed that he'd run off out of state somewhere, and that that was why he'd disappeared after high school."

Misha shook his head slowly. "Dawn wouldn't have paid for it, if she had even allowed him to apply at all, which I strongly doubt. No, Jared serves as an unpaid servant in his own home. The housekeeper, a Samantha Ferris, has quite strongly negative feelings about the entire situation." Misha's lips curved slightly in a wry smile. "According to her, Jared was moved into a small and terribly cramped attic room approximately one week after his father's funeral. He helps her cook, and is responsible for keeping the house spotless as well as helping the gardener as needed. He disappeared, as you say, because he has no time for parties or friends and no money for clothes. Despite the fact that he's about four inches taller than Chace and a good six inches taller than Ed, he's generally only given their old clothes to wear. Ms. Ferris alters them as best she can, but even she can't work miracles."

Alan had to smile at that, although he felt sick to his stomach over what he had just learned. "A direct quote?"

"How did you know?" Misha smiled back, but both men quickly sobered. "Anyway. All things considered, I suspect Chace is playing at dating Jensen solely to gain access to his fortune. I don't know if it was his idea or Dawn's. Probably Dawn's, as Chace doesn't appear to be terribly independently-minded. He's very much a follower, and I suspect Dawn has been controlling his life so long he wouldn't know how to say no or to think for himself."

With a nod, Alan rubbed a hand over his face. "I won't let Chace near Jensen's money," he said quietly. "I won't try to stop Jensen from dating him; that would be the best way to ensure he digs in and stays with Chace. Jensen is nothing if not stubborn." He shook his head and sighed. "My heart breaks for Jared. I worked with Gerald, way back when. We were friendly if not close friends, and I always remember Jared as being extraordinarily happy. All long legs and dimples."

Misha laughed. "He still is. He has two dogs - I have no idea how he managed to get them or keep them, because I can't imagine Dawn is fond of animals, but he plays with them in the yard whenever he can, and he's definitely still long legs and dimples. Ms. Ferris says he has the most positive attitude she's ever seen, that she's never seen him unhappy. She says he finds joy in the smallest things, which is a darn good thing because those small things are all that witch lets him have."

"Another quote." It wasn't a question, and this time neither man smiled. "I wish Jensen had met Jared instead. Jared could help Jensen find joy in his own life, and Jensen could get Jared away from that harpy." Alan shook his head. "I always sort of knew she could be cold and vindictive, but never really thought much of it until she started hinting that I should take her to dinner. Whatever else one can say about her, she's a damn fine employee. Ruthless and smart. But not someone I'd ever date. Then her son showed up with Jensen, and, well. That's when I called you. I can't believe I never gave Jared a second thought. I should have. I've been managing his trust for years and he never tried to access it for school."

Misha's eyebrows shot up. "I thought Dawn had squandered everything Gerald left."

Alan smiled slyly. "Gerald had a trust set up for Jared with our firm, asked me to personally oversee the investments. Which is not, honestly, something I usually do, but we were friendly, and I didn't mind. It never occurred to me to tell Dawn, because it never occurred to me that she might not know about it. Clearly she doesn't, and how Gerald managed to keep it from her, I'll never know. Jared is the only beneficiary and he can't access it until he turns twenty-five anyway. I would be more than willing to advance him a loan to get him out of that house, however."

"It's too bad Dawn keeps him locked away. He's an attractive kid, and if Jensen fell for him instead, they might move in somewhere together." Misha tugged his coat back on and stood to leave, not noticing the arrested look on Alan's face at his offhand statement.

~*~*~

Jensen yawned and stretched against Chace. "My dad wants me to have some stupid party here at the house. For Halloween, or some shit." He felt Chace freeze and force himself to relax. Again. Jensen managed not to roll his eyes and smirked as he curled himself even closer around Chace.

"I thought your dad wanted you to stop partying so much?" Chace asked with a frown. "Somebody change his meds?"

Jensen snorted. "This won't be that sort of party, I don't think. He seems very excited about having a costume party here. I have no idea what he's been smoking. He's very insistent that every single person from eighteen to twenty-five within a hundred miles be invited." Jensen dropped his voice to mimic his father. "Everyone, Jensen, don't leave anyone out, even the servants."

Chace snorted at that. "Who the hell invites _servants_ to a party? Is he trying to save money on hired help?"

"Not even. I have no idea. But we're making sure the invites include servants. He's insistent. Everyone is invited, absolutely everyone. It's going to be insane." Jensen rolled them on the oversize sofa and settled himself heavily on top of Chace, watching for the flinch Chace couldn't quite hide. He smirked when he saw it. He was starting to wonder if his dad was right, if he was too bored and getting twisted in it, because it was almost more fun making Chace uncomfortable than making him hot. "Ed's invited too, and your servants. Do you have servants that age? You must have, Dad mentioned your people specifically."

"No," Chace answered quickly, tensing again, although this time it was something more like anger instead of just discomfort. "Well, just the retard that helps Samantha around the house. But he won't go. I don't think he can even dance."

Jensen considered Chace's reaction and smirked again. "He has to be invited, Chace. Dad's the one making the rules for this party. He doesn't have to dance if he can't, although I'm sure you'd love to see him make an ass out of himself, right?"

Chace rolled, knocking Jensen off his chest. "Yeah, sure," he said. "If he wants to go at all, which he won't because he's a retard, but he knows his place isn't with the rest of us." He sat up. "Look, I should probably go home."

Jensen stared at Chace. "Wow. Overreact much? You're kind of an ass sometimes. Servants are people too, even if they are _working_ people." He reached over and slid his hand between Chace's thighs. "Am I ever going to get past third base?"

"Not tonight you're not," Chace said, body going rigid again before he pulled Jensen's hand free. "Being called an ass isn't my idea of foreplay."

"Stop acting like one, and I won't call you that." Jensen leaned back and linked his fingers behind his neck. "And Chace." Jensen waited until Chace looked at him before he smiled slowly. "You won't get in my wallet until I get in your pants. Keep that in mind. Go home. Find a costume. Outfit your brother. Your servant can come as he is, but make sure you tell him about the party and let him decide for himself about coming."

"Sure," Chace bit off, standing abruptly. "Fine. Whatever." He left quickly, the front door slamming behind him.

Jensen stared after him for several moments, then shrugged and pulled out his phone to call Chris. Chris and Steve were always up for a drink, and if he wasn't getting lucky with his boyfriend, he could at least get drunk with his boys.

~*~*~

Jared was on the top of the ladder, changing out dead bulbs in the chandelier when he heard Sam calling him from the back of the house. She sounded excited about something, so Jared risked Dawn's wrath and answered.

"Out here!" he called, reaching for the next bulb. Since Chace had picked up his perfect boyfriend that Jared knew in his heart of hearts was more than just the meal ticket Chace and Dawn seemed to think he was, Dawn had been suddenly willing to pay for things like light bulbs again. Jared had a lot of bulbs to change.

"There you are," Sam said. She was clutching a piece of paper in her hand and her face was absolutely glowing. "Get down here! This is for you, and you're never going to believe it!"

Curious, Jared pocketed the last bad bulb in the old apron he'd grabbed just for this, and climbed down, careful of his load of glass bulbs. Sam thrust the paper at him, what looked like an engraved invitation on heavy cream paper. Quickly, he scanned it, eyes widening comically.

"Everyone?" he asked, almost breathless.

Sam nodded and then handed him the envelope. "This one came just for you, even."

When Jared saw his name on the envelope, the professional calligraphy making it look like he was someone important, Jared felt a tremble begin in his stomach that became into a great lungful of air that soon turned into a whoop of pure joy. "I'm going to a party!" he said, grabbing Sam by the arms and lifting her up for a loud kiss.

"We need to find you something to wear, but yes," Sam said, laughing and stumbling as he set her down. "I've got a couple of ideas, though."

Jared whooped again, arms out and head thrown back. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been invited to a party, but even that paled in comparison to seeing Jensen again, and maybe even having a chance to talk to him. "I'm going to a party!"

"So the whole neighborhood hears," Dawn said from the second floor landing, staring down at Jared with cold, glittering eyes. "You can't go looking like that, though."

"I have something for him, ma'am," Sam said quickly, a bright umbrella against Dawn's stinging reality.

"Of course you do." There was a long pause, and Jared knew she was looking for reasons to keep him home, to take this away from him. But Jared hadn't broken a single rule in months, hadn't earned more than a sneer of distaste from his step-mother since Summer. There was nothing, and they both knew it. "You have to finish all of your chores before you can even _think_ about going," she said at last, and Jared knew he'd won. "I also need you to pick up your brothers' costumes from the cleaners, wash my car and trim the hedges today."

"Can't it wait until tomorrow?" Jared asked, wishing he'd kept his mouth shut as soon as he spoke.

"No," Dawn said sharply. "So unless you need more work, I suggest you get busy, Jared." She turned on her heel and walked away, closing her office door firmly behind her.

"I still have to clean the bathrooms and vacuum the second floor hallway," Jared said, good mood fading slowly. "And I only have a couple of hours, Sam. I'll never get it all done in time."

"Nonsense," Sam said, patting Jared's arm. "I'll pick up the costumes and take the car to the wash. That'll save you a good hour."

"And I'll take care of the hedges," Ed said, coming out of the downstairs study. When Jared and Sam looked at him in shock, he only shrugged. "Jensen told Chace to invite you last week."

Jared's grin came back in full force as he carefully pulled off his apron, handed it to Sam, and then pulled Ed into a crushing hug. Laughing, Sam finally made Jared put Ed down, the other young man flustered but clearly pleased.

"Come on, let me show you what you're wearing tonight," Sam said, draping the apron over the ladder, taking Jared by the hand and leading him to the basement as Ed went to get started on the shrubs. She led him all the way to the back of the basement, tugged three large boxes out of the way, and finally revealed a large crate with Jared's father's name written on it.

"You're almost the same height as your dad was," she said, patting the top of the crate and gesturing for Jared to hand her the crowbar. Ignoring Sam, Jared grabbed the crowbar and pried off the lid himself, revealing a wide range of clothes. "I'll have to let out the cuffs, but other than that, it's almost perfect."

For a long moment, Jared just stood there, touching the soft wool of his father's clothes, trying to remember if he'd ever seen his father in this jacket or that, the hazy, bitter-sweet memories making his vision blur just a little. Then Sam wrapped her small arms around him in a hug, cooing gently.

"Thanks, Sam," he said finally, hugging her back briefly. "But I'd better get started on the rest of my chores if I'm going to wear any of this."

Jared worked like a fiend for the rest of the day, cleaning and vacuuming and in general making sure the house was as spotless as it could get. He looked outside once, and saw Ed playing with Harley and Sadie, the hedges almost done, saw Sam watching Ed, a small mountain of dry cleaning bags over her arm. All day long, he could feel the flutter in his stomach at the thought of seeing Jensen again, as he wondered why Jensen wanted him invited in the first place. Jared had been careful not to be spotted, even if he'd taken every opportunity to watch Jensen with each visit.

By the end of the afternoon, Jared still couldn't figure it out, but he'd decided that he like the outcome so far. Almost shaking with anticipation, Jared took his father's suit, recently altered by Sam's expert needle, and headed up to his tiny third floor bathroom. Even the weak water pressure couldn't put a damper on Jared's mood, as it were, and he dressed quickly, humming snippets of some half-remembered song as he dragged a comb through his hair, wishing he'd had the time to ask Sam to give him a trim.

And then, at exactly eight o'clock, which was when Chace and Ed always left for the big, official parties, Jared headed downstairs, his feet feeling like he was walking on air.

When he reached the foyer, though, he came crashing and tumbling down to earth.

The first thing Jared noticed was the dirt all over the floor, in great, muddy streaks. Then he saw Sam off to the side, holding the dogs by their collars. There was glass all over the floor, too, and in the middle of it was the old apron Jared had been using earlier in the day. Standing in front of the apron, were Chace and Dawn, and neither one looked like they were even trying to be anything but smug.

"How many times, Jared," Dawn said, crossing her arms. "How many times must I tell you to keep those filthy mutts out of my house?"

"I... I..." Jared tried, but he honestly didn't know what to say. There was no reason for Harley and Sadie to even be _in_ the house in the first place. This might have been the first time, even.

"You shut up!" Chace sneered.

"Chace, baby, be quiet," Dawn said. "Now, Jared, I'm sure you understand that I can't let you go out now. Not with the house looking like this because you couldn't keep an eye on your filthy pets."

"Mother, he's been busy all day," Ed tried, looking almost as horrified as Jared felt. He wasn't going to go. He was going to have to stay home, and clean again, and Chace was going to go to the party and be with Jensen and Jared was never, ever going to find out why he was invited, because it was a pointless invitation in the first place.

"Edward, sweetheart, do shut up and go find a gardener to screw or something," Dawn said.

"I'll go change," Jared said quietly, shoulders sagging, and he heard Sam make a sound that might have been a cry of dismay, but he couldn't really tell over the sound of his breaking heart.

"You do that," Dawn said, the smirk spreading across her face. "And Jared? I hope you understand that this means I'll probably have to have the dogs put down. They're just a pair of menaces."

And that was what did it. Standing up straight, Jared whirled on Dawn. "Don't you dare!" he said, voice booming through the hall. "They're perfectly innocent and you will not murder the only things you have _ever_ let me have that love me back! I'll leave, Dawn, do you hear me? I'll take my dogs and leave and you'll have to make one of your precious boys into your new free servant. Don't threaten me, not after you've given me a lifetime of job skills training."

"Back off my mother!" Chace said, jumping between them and punching Jared hard in the nose, sending him reeling back, onto the mess on the floor, broken glass crunching under him as he landed, blood running from his nose.

Dawn walked over, looming over Jared. "Clean this up," she ordered in a cold voice. "Get rid of the dogs. No one will hire you because you have no references. You're just a spoiled brat that couldn't be bothered with college and then ran away when I asked you to help around the house. You will never have anything better than this, Jared, because you're not worth anything more. The sooner you accept that, the sooner we can go back to being a happy family."

Then she stalked away, followed by Chace, who looked way too pleased with himself, and Ed, who looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole and die. At the door, Ed stopped and looked back at Sam, who looked like she might cry, the dogs, who were whining and trying to get to Jared, and Jared, still on the floor and bleeding all over himself.

"I'm so sorry," Ed said, and then slipped out the door, reluctantly following the rest of his family.

~*~*~


	2. Chapter 2

~*~*~

Somehow, Jared found his way out into the garden, his feet following the familiar path in the evening darkness. Harley and Sadie followed close behind, their heads hanging and tails tucked low. Jared's nosebleed slowed and then finally stopped, and Jared could feel the bruises blooming on his face already. It didn't matter though. Nothing mattered; for the first time since that Monday ten years ago, Jared had absolutely no hope in his heart.

Jared sat heavily, the dogs resting their chins on his legs as he slowly scratched their ears. “I won't let her hurt you guys,” he promised. “I won't. We'll find someone to take you, someone who can learn to love you as much as I do. I promise.”

Sadie whined and looked up at him with sad eyes. “I'll stay here,” he said. “Because she's right. I have nowhere else to go. And she's my family. Maybe I'm just not good enough? She seems to love Chace just fine...” Harley huffed, and dug his chin in deeper. “You're right, boy,” Jared agreed. “I don't think Dawn's ever actually loved anyone without looking at their bank account first. My father must have been too much in love to see, though. Lucky for him he never found out.”

Jared closed his eyes and breathed in deeply through his mouth, breath shuddering as he fought off tears. “I just... I just wish I could have a chance to find my happiness.”

“Well, it's about time,” a woman said, and Jared's eyes popped open to see a beautiful stranger with long dark curls wearing a shimmering dress that clung to her perfectly, standing in front of him. Her arms were crossed, and she was clutching a thin, white stick in one hand, and it almost seemed to sparkle when she tapped it impatiently against her shoulder. “I've only been hanging around for who knows how long, but don't mind me, I'm just your fairy godmother, nothing important.”

“What?” Jared blinked at her slightly nasal diatribe. “I'm sorry, _who_ are you?”

“Your fairy godmother,” she said, eyes widening and cocking her head like she was waiting for Jared to catch up. “You can call me Sera.”

“Fairy godmother,” Jared said, shaking his head. “There's no such thing as magic.”

“Oh HO!” Sera said, tossing her hands up. “We've got an expert here! I only appear out of thin air, waving my wand around, but _he_ knows there's no such thing as magic. No putting anything past you, is there?” She waved her wand again, and now there was definitely a shower of sparks in its wake.

“Well, I guess...” Jared started, and then frowned at her. “But there's no need for the sarcasm.”

Sera tapped him on the head with her wand. “Just one more service I offer, boychick. Now get up, we've got a party to get you to.”

“But,” Jared started, and stopped himself when Sera glared at him. He scrambled up, dusting the dirt off his hands and trousers, even though he was still covered in his own blood. “How?” he asked simply.

“With that stuff you don't believe in,” Sera said. “It's what fairy godmothers do, thankless job it is these days. But I'm here to make your wish come true, so that's what we'll do.”

Jared looked down at his father's suit, bloody and stained probably beyond all hope of repair, and then back at the woman in front of him, a tiny ball of what appeared to be determined magic, and he felt a spark of the hope he thought he'd lost. “Thank you,” he said quietly, almost smiling.

“You're welcome, and don't forget to say that again when we're done here,” Sera said. “Now, first we've got to get you there in style. Don't want that putz of a step-brother of yours showing you up and stealing your true love out from under you. What to use...” She looked around, thoughtfully tapping the tip of her wand (which Jared could see had a small star on it) against her chin. “Ah! Perfect!”

Sera pointed her wand at a wheelbarrow, did a complicated flick of her wrist and muttered something, turning the wheelbarrow into a stretch limo. The dogs jumped, and ran over to investigate, sniffing the wheels curiously. Sera grinned.

“And we can't have you driving yourself like a shmuck,” she said, waved her wand and muttered again, this time pointing it at Harley and Sadie.

“Hey!” Jared said, jumping a moment too late. The dogs sat on their haunches, and then seemed to stretch, morphing right before his eyes. They straightened, standing up on hind legs that were suddenly people legs, and _wow_ Harley as a person was solidly built.

“Ja-red!” Person-Sadie cried out, pulling Jared into a clumsy hug, whuffling in his ear in a strangely familiar way.

“What the hell is going on here?” Sam shouted, obviously having just come around the gardening shed to see Jared, the limousine and three strangers.

“Fairy godmother business,” Sera said, already waving her hands at Person-Sadie and Person-Harley, ushering them into the limo.

“Fairy what? But there's no such thing as-”

“Sam,” Jared interrupted her quickly, shaking his head to stop her. Let it not be said that Jared didn't learn his lessons quickly. Sera flounced over to the limo (although how she flounced in her slinky dress was beyond Jared), flicked her wand again, and sent it sailing around the house and to the driveway.

“Holy hell,” Sam said, even though her voice was more like a squeak.

“Well, at least it's dark out,” Jared said. “Not sure how we'd explain all the magic to the neighbors.” But at the same time, Jared was actually starting to believe that this was really happening.

“That's much better,” Sera said, turning on Jared. “Now, just one more thing and we'll be all set.”

Jared held himself very still, wondering what she was going to do about his clothes, because there was no way he could go to the party like this. When Sera brought her wand up to his face, he closed his eyes and held his breath. The pain and tightness in Jared's nose eased quickly, and before he knew it he was breathing through his nose again. He heard Sam gasp in shock, and knew it had to be awesome to see.

“There!” Sera said. “Perfect.”

Jared opened his eyes and touched his face, nose as good as new. Almost vibrating with excitement now, Jared looked down for the rest... and found his dirty clothes. Blinking in confusion, he looked back up at Sera.

“Now, there's just the one rule, and it's the most important one,” Sera was saying, already walking around to the front of the house. Jared and Sam looked at each other and then back at Sera. Sera stopped, and saw how far away they were. “Well, _come on_ , your ride's out front, and if you think I'm driving you when you've got a perfectly good coach and horses, you're more ungrateful than my last godchild. That Chad, I killed myself for that boy, and he just wanted more and more from me, can you believe it? Of course you can't, because I'm just a fairy godmother, no feelings to speak of...”

“Sera!” Jared finally butted in, waving his hands to indicate the ruined suit. “I can't go looking like this.”

Sera blinked at him a few times before her face cleared. “Of course you can't,” she said, coming back over and walking around Jared in a slow circle. “You look like you've been rolling on the ground, why would you do that on the most important night of your life, I ask? To make my job more difficult, that's why. Well, I've got news for you,” she said, standing in front of him and brandishing her wand like a weapon. “I've seen worse.”

She waved her wand and mumbled again, and this time Jared was _sure_ she was saying “abracadabra,” but he wasn't about to piss off the cranky fairy godmother, so he stayed quiet.

“So are you going to look, or are you just going to take me for granted?” Sera asked, but Jared was sure he could see pride shining in her eyes.

Slowly, Jared looked down, at the flowing black shirt and the tight black pants, the sash around his waist and the sword hanging from it, and at the thigh-high leather boots. Next to him, Jared heard Sam mutter, “Well, fuck me.”

Sera cackled at that, handing Jared a black mask, headscarf, and leather gloves. “You're not his type,” she said. “Now let's go already. Standing around won't get you where you want to be if the garden isn't it.” She waved her wand again, and suddenly the three of them were standing on the front steps.

Person-Harley and Person-Sadie jumped up from sniffing the upholstery of the limo, calling out Jared's name, and Sera shook her head. “Nothing much changes with that spell,” she sighed, turning back to Jared. “Now listen to me very carefully, Jared, because I don't ask for much and this is your only rule for tonight, got it?”

“Sure,” Jared said, nodding.

“The spell ends at midnight. The dogs, the clothes, the car, it all goes back to how it was, and that's just the rule. There's no extension of curfew, no sneaking an extra fifteen minutes out of the deal. Right now you're the Dread Pirate Roberts. At midnight, you go back to being Jared. Make each moment count because this is your big chance. Do you understand me?”

Midnight? Midnight wasn't much time, not if he was going to find Jensen and talk to him, take his chance. But it was better than what he had before, so Jared nodded and smiled brilliantly at Sera, pulling her into a tight hug.

“Thank you,” he whispered, voice choked with hope and fear and joy and so many nerves he didn't know what to do with himself. “You're wonderful. I don't know what brought you here now, but thank you.”

“All you had to do was let yourself wish, Jared,” Sera said, batting at Jared's shoulder when he set her down, shimmering sparks flying everywhere. “You can't have magic in your life if you don't think you deserve it enough to even wish for it. And sweetie, you deserve all those wishes you've been afraid to dream about. Trust me.”

Jared, speechless for once, could only kiss Sera on the cheek. Then he grabbed Sam hugging her tight until she started pushing at him to go.

“Get moving, you,” Sam said. “You heard the magic lady; _midnight_. It's almost nine already! Go!”

“I'm going!” Jared laughed, bounding down the stairs and into the limo. Person-Harley was driving, and Jared was nervous for a bit, since he knew the only license Harley had was a dog license, but he backed up smoothly, pulling out into the street.

“Wait!” Sera called, chasing after the limo. Jared put the window down, cocking his head to the side just like the people-dogs. “I almost forgot!” She handed him a small bottle of cologne. "To help you find your happiness," she explained. "It rubs off a bit on people, so don't touch anyone you don't like if you can help it."

"Thank you," Jared said, curling his hand around the bottle. "Thank you, for everything."

"You want to thank me?" Sera asked, bracing her hands on her hips as the limo started to pull away, forcing her to raise her voice. "Go, find your prince and schtupp him silly. And bring back pictures!"

~*~*~

Jensen shifted his sword back into place for what seemed the fiftieth time and muttered under his breath. He was an awesome Captain Jack, even if he did say so himself, but it was a lot of layers and he was hot and the sword kept hitting his legs and the spirit gum that the makeup artist he'd hired for tonight had used for the extra facial hair fucking _itched_. His irritation temporarily vanished as yet another guest did a double take upon seeing him, awe in the kid's eyes as he breathed, "Dude, _awesome_."

With a smug smile, Jensen waved his authentic bottle of rum in the kid's direction. "Thanks," he drawled in his best Johnny Depp. His mouth was open to say something else when the front door opened in his direct line of sight and the Dread Pirate Roberts stepped uncertainly into the room. The flowing black shirt exposed so much gorgeously muscled chest that Jensen was in immediate danger of actually drooling, especially since his mouth was still open. He slowly closed it and swallowed against a suddenly dry throat. God, he was _tall_ , too, and Jensen just knew his hair under that headscarf would be perfect. Jensen could already see it; his hands buried in shaggy brown as the guy sucked him off. Or maybe he was blond? Jensen changed his mental picture, and tried red too just for kicks, then shook his head slightly. With that skin tone, it had to be brown. Jensen sighed as he lost himself in the fantasy to the point that he could almost feel soft brown strands curling around his fingers, then shook himself free of the images. It wouldn't do to embarrass himself, or waste his erection on a solo flight. Not when he could let that pirate play with it instead.

Even as he took a determined step in the guy's direction, Jensen saw him suck in a deep breath and stand taller, then he started _searching the crowd_. "Oh, _hell_ no," Jensen muttered out loud. "I saw you first."

The guy was still searching when Jensen reached him and stepped in, right up to his chest. "We're the only pirates here, baby, and it's a damn good thing you chose Roberts instead of Sparrow. I would have been very upset to have to boot you for copying me." Jensen had his best seductive smirk on, but completely lost his suave expression when the guy looked down at him quizzically and then _grinned_. It was the happiest, most welcoming expression Jensen had ever seen, let alone seen directed at himself, and Jensen felt dazed by the brightness and - oh fuck. The _dimples_. The guy was acting like Jensen was Christmas and birthday all in one, and Jensen's knees actually felt weak.

"Well, I guess I'll have to remember to call ahead next time, to be safe," the pirate said, that grin still stretched across his face. Someone bumped into the guy from behind, and he steadied himself with a large, warm hand on Jensen's hip. "Also, uh, hi."

Jensen took the opportunity to move even closer and smiled up into warm hazel eyes. "Hi. Welcome to the party. Can I get you a drink? Something to eat?" With one hand still wrapped around the rum bottle, Jensen curled his other over the other guy's ribs. "Want to... dance?"

The guy actually _blushed_ , looking away for a second. "I... I don't know how to dance, actually," he admitted. "Besides, won't your boyfriend mind if you dance off with the first pirate you see?"

Entranced by the blush, Jensen took a little too long to answer. And when the guy's words finally filtered through the haze in his brain, Jensen snorted. "I think he'll be relieved, actually. He doesn't really seem to _like_ me all that much." Jensen's fingers squeezed lightly and then slid down to play with the black sash wrapped around slim hips. He leaned in and nosed at his new friend's tanned throat. "I can teach you," he murmured, "any _dance_ you want to learn."

A sound that was most definitely a whimper escaped the guy's mouth, and it took him a few tries of opening and closing his mouth before he seemed to be able to talk. "That... that sounds good," he finally said, and nodded to the knot of people gyrating in the middle of the room. "Not sure I'm up for embarrassing myself in front of a group, though. Big party you're having, Jensen."

"Oh, perfect," Jensen fairly purred. "We'll just go somewhere private and... practice." Jensen curled his fingers into the sash and tugged, leading a very willing Roberts behind him as they weaved through the crowd. Once out of the biggest crush, Jensen smiled back at the guy. "You have the advantage here," he said with a smile. "You know my name already. But I don't know yours, and I can't keep calling you Dread Pirate Roberts all night."

"J... just Tristan," he said, looking away, but still following. "And of course I know your name. Everyone knows who you are, especially now. Inviting servants to a party?"

Jensen rolled his eyes as they started up the grand staircase. "Oh, my dad gets all the credit for that crazy idea. I swear I heard him muttering _every eligible maiden is to attend_ under his breath." They reached the landing and Jensen turned left, heading up the second flight of stairs at a slightly faster pace. He glanced back at just-Tristan halfway up and nearly tripped at the sight of the kid's face. He stopped and coaxed that long body back against the wall. "Hey, what's wrong? You look like someone just shot your dog."

Tristan flinched at that, and refused to look at Jensen for a second. "Nothing," he said, when it was totally obvious that wasn't true. "I guess I just saw something else in that. We're all of us just people, even if some people don't seem to think the servants are in that group." He shook his head, and then finally looked at Jensen, smiling even though it was nothing like that grin from earlier. "Every eligible maiden? Doesn't your dad like the boyfriend you already have?"

"Nobody does," Jensen said absently. He wanted that smile back. He pressed Tristan into the wall. "So you're a servant? That explains why I've never seen you before. It makes me glad my dad insisted." He cupped Tristan's jaw in one hand, rubbed a thumb over his bottom lip. "I'm not really a snob, baby, I promise. It's just easier to act that way."

"Easier than what, Jensen?" Tristan asked, not answering Jensen's question. Not like he had to. He leaned into Jensen's hand, eyes closing halfway for just a moment. "Easier than being yourself? Wait, that's a stupid question; we're _in costume_."

Jensen raised an eyebrow, stung. "I'm never myself," he said shortly. "Did you want to dance or would you rather be cranky at me? I didn't make my world, Tristan, I just have to live in it."

Tristan's eyes flew open and he finally reached up to cup the side of Jensen's face, mirroring him. "I'm sorry," he breathed. "I have to live in it, too, and I know it's hard for everyone. I'm sorry, Jensen. Please, don't be mad at me, not when I came just to see you."

"But we've never met," Jensen murmured. "I'd remember you, I know I would." He leaned up and brushed his mouth lightly over Tristan's. "I'm not mad at you, I just. I want to touch you. Can I touch you, Tristan?"

"Yes," Tristan whispered, leaning in to kiss Jensen again, their mouths slotting together slightly off-center, Jensen's lower lip slipping between Tristan's slightly parted ones. "Just. I meant it when I said, before. Tell me if I do something wrong, okay?"

Jensen tilted his head to fit their mouths together more securely, licking into Tristan's mouth quickly before easing back to breathe against his lips. "As long as it feels good, it's not wrong. And I'm going to make you feel _so_ damn good. If I do something you don't like, just tell me. No pressure. No mistakes. Just choices." Jensen pushed his fingertips under Tristan's mask to stroke his cheekbone, then pulled back, taking Tristan's hand again to pull him up the rest of stairs to the second floor. Tristan hadn't said it in so many words, but Jensen was pretty sure he was a virgin. Jensen had never considered virginity a turn on before, but the thought that he would be Tristan's first, that he would be the only one to know what drove the kid crazy, what made him shake, what made him scream; that he would be the one to teach him exactly what his body could do, well. Jensen was already so hard it was almost painful. He didn't quite run down the hall to his bedroom, but it was close.

~*~*~

Jared closed the bedroom door behind him, leaning back on it for a moment as he looked around the huge room, taking in the wood floors and thick dark red rugs. On the right side of the room was a large leather sofa facing a flat screen TV that probably cost more than some cars, flanked by shelves of DVDs and video games. There were clothes scattered around here and there and Jared could see that there was a walk-in closet next to the bathroom on the far side of the room, and when he'd looked everywhere else that he could, he finally looked at the bed.

The enormous four-poster cherry wood bed was piled high with dark red bedding to match the rugs, accented with gold. The headboard, just under a large window as wide as the bed, was against the middle of the wall, the rest of the bed sticking out into the room invitingly. Once Jared looked at it, he couldn't quite make himself look away. Especially since that's where Jensen was, peeling back the layers of bedding as fast as he could, almost as eagerly as if they were clothes.

The thought of being naked with Jensen made Jared groan. He'd never been with anything but his own hand and whatever bad porn he could manage to scavenge over the years, and Jensen was already way more than Jared had thought sex would be like. Jared wondered if this was really what Sera meant for him to do with this chance she'd given him, but at the same time, he knew there was no way in hell he was backing out now, even if it wasn't.

"Uh, nice room," he finally said, feeling like an idiot because he didn't have a clue what you were supposed to say when you were about to sleep with the man of your dreams.

"I like it," Jensen said. Finally down to the dark red sheets, Jensen straightened and sauntered toward Jared. He pulled the hat and attached wig off and tossed it carelessly to the floor, leaving him with sweat damp hair that didn't quite go with the odd beaded beard and dark eyeliner. The sword dropped to the floor next with a clang, followed immediately by the long flowing coat, leaving a trail behind Jensen as he crossed the room. "Tristan," he drawled, "you're wearing too many clothes."

Jared jumped into motion, clumsy fingers tugging at his sash and dropping it and his sword as fast as he could, and then tugging off his gloves. He grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and pulled up, knocking his headscarf loose, although the mask stayed in place. Probably for the best, especially considering how Jared did not want to take the chance of Jensen somehow recognizing him.

"Better?" he asked, standing there in just his mask, tight black pants and those thigh-high boots.

Jensen stopped in his tracks, hands clenched in his own sash, and swallowed audibly. "Oh god. Yes, yes, that's definitely _much_ better." His voice was slightly rough and his face flushed. He shook his head a little and smiled, although it was strained. "You're beautiful," he said, and took the few remaining steps in a rush, putting both hands on Jared's chest as soon as he was within reach. "I want you, Tristan."

"You can have me," Jared said, covering one of Jensen's hands with his own. A part of him wished he hadn't given Jensen his middle name, because he _needed_ to hear Jensen say his first name like that, like a desperate caress in and of itself. "But I'm not beautiful, Jensen. I'm just me. But I'll still be yours."

"You _are_ mine," Jensen said, "and you _are_ beautiful." The hand under Jared's stayed still, but other began roaming, stroking over Jared's chest, grazing his nipple. "You're amazing. That smile just, god. Stopped my heart. And those dimples nearly finished me off. I think you're brave, too. You're nervous, maybe even scared, but you're here with me anyway. And you're generous, and giving. Handing yourself over to me so freely." His hand drifted up along Jared's shoulder and neck, and into his hair. He smiled. "I was right. I like being right."

Jared could feel himself blushing again, but he still smiled at Jensen, not caring if his heart was clear on his face because Jensen saw more of him than just someone to sleep with, even if that was all Jared was letting himself want right now. Jensen thought he was brave and generous, and Jared knew that Jensen was gentle and caring, and Jared might have fallen a bit deeper for Jensen right then and there. Jared squeezed Jensen's hand and smiled even more. "What were you right about?"

Jensen tangled his fingers in Jared's hair. "Your hair. I saw you come through the door, and I couldn't tell what color it was because of the scarf." His fingers relaxed and moved to drift lightly over Jared's mask and then down his nose and over his lips. "But then I realized it had to be brown. Blond would've been okay, but brown goes better with your skin." Jensen stepped back and reached for Jared's hand, linking their fingers as he led him toward the bed. He squeezed Jared's hand in his. "I don't want to talk anymore, Tristan, I want to feel those giant hands all over my body."

"I can do that," Jared said, and he could _feel_ Jensen's voice moving over his skin. When they got to beside the bed, he pulled his hand free from Jensen's grasp. "You've got a lot of clothes on for someone who wants to be touched," he said, grinning despite the way his stomach flipped and flopped and he was pretty sure he sounded like an idiot. But he figured he couldn't sound too bad, since Jensen hadn't laughed at him or thrown him out for being so clueless, so Jared just pushed on ahead, and pulled up on Jensen's shirt, exposing a strong, smoothly-muscled torso that most definitely got a whimper out of him.

"God, you're perfect," Jared breathed, dropping Jensen's shirt on the floor and sliding one hand up Jensen's chest. As soon as his hand made contact, Jared heard Jensen's breath catch and saw the muscles in Jensen's stomach contract, and the obvious signs that this was driving Jensen as crazy as Jared made Jared swallow, hard. He had next to no clue what to do, but Jared went for it, brushing his thumb over one of Jensen's nipples, making it tighten under his touch.

"I work on it," Jensen said absently. He cupped Jared's face, breath catching on almost every inhalation as Jared's thumb kept stroking his nipple. "I promise, it's all good. I'll like anything you want to do, and I want you to do everything you want. Help me get this stupid costume _off_."

Jared laughed and reached out to tug on the fake beard that Jensen was still wearing. "Starting with this, I hope," he said. "It's kind of weird."

Jensen actually blushed. "Well, fuck. It was driving me crazy before you got here and you're so distracting I completely forgot about it. Hang on, the makeup artist left me some professional remover." He rolled his eyes and pulled away, rounding the end of the bed to head for the bathroom.

Once Jensen was busy, Jared sat on the edge of the bed, eyeing his boots. He wasn't entirely sure he was going to be able to get them off without Sera's help, considering how high up they were and how they seemed to mold against his legs. It took a couple of tries, but he did finally find the perfect angle for pulling them off, and by the time he'd dropped the second boot on the floor beside the bed, Jensen was coming out of the bathroom, without the beard. Jared flopped back against the pillows and grinned at Jensen. "That's much better," he said warmly.

"It really is," Jensen agreed with a grin. "Although the boots were really hot." He sat on the edge of the bed next to Jared's hip to pull his own boots off, then tugged at his clothes until he was, like Jared, left only in his pants. "So," Jensen drawled, eyes slowly moving over Jared's body sprawled over the bed. "Where exactly were we again?"

 _With my hands on your unbelievable body_ , Jared thought, blushing hotly. "Well, I was just about to ask you to kiss me again?" he said instead. "And then, hopefully, I could stop talking and making such a complete idiot out of myself, but I'm flexible."

Jensen moved quickly to settle himself over Jared, bracing his weight on his elbows but letting his hips rest against Jared's. "I can find all sorts of things to do with your mouth," he said wickedly, "and the things I'll do with mine should make you speechless if I do them right. And we'll find out just how flexible you really are." Jensen laughed softly, the sound full of carnal knowledge, and then bent to press his lips to Jared's. "Follow my lead," he breathed, then eased his tongue into Jared's mouth.

Wrapping his arms around Jensen, Jared opened his mouth and sucked on Jensen's tongue, groaning a little at the sensation and taste. Jared's fingers spread across Jensen's lower back, and Jared shifted, already so hard he could barely stand it. He still couldn't quite believe that he was here, in bed with Jensen, but damned if he wasn't going to grab onto it, and Jensen, with both hands.

"Jensen," he sighed as they broke apart for air. "Lead on."

Jensen softly laughed again but not like he was mocking Jared, more like he was _happy_. "I want to kiss you everywhere," he murmured as he worked his way down Jared's neck. "I want to taste your skin. I want to mark you, so you know you're mine." He scraped his teeth over Jared's pecs then pressed his lips to one nipple and sucked. "I want to suck your cock. I want to teach you to suck mine. That's why I was thinking about the color of your hair, you know. I was picturing you on your knees with your lips wrapped around me and my hands in your gorgeous hair." He glanced up at Jared with a wicked smirk. "We'll do that next time."

"Sounds good," Jared said, licking suddenly dry lips. He had no idea how he was going to survive all those things Jensen was talking about, but he wanted them, wanted anything and everything he could get. Jensen's mouth on his chest was sending shocks through Jared, and Jared would gladly do anything and everything Jensen wanted if he could feel more of this. "Want all that, too," he said, cupping the back of Jensen's head in his hand. "Want it all with you."

"You'll get it. You'll get everything, Tristan, I promise." Jensen mouthed his way down over Jared's stomach and dipped the tip of his tongue into Jared's navel. "I can't believe how gorgeous you are, how much I want you. Never felt like this before." He blushed suddenly and bent to hide his face in Jared's stomach. His tongue darted out, leaving wet trails as Jensen started moving again, until his mouth was hovering over Jared's black-covered crotch. Jensen curled his hands in the waistband of Jared's pants and started to tug them down. "Pay attention, baby. There won't be a quiz afterward, but you will be expected to reproduce my results."

Obviously back in control of himself, knowing exactly what he was doing, Jensen smirked up at Jared, _finally_ pulled the pants down far enough to free Jared's cock, opened his mouth, and swallowed Jared all the way down.

Jensen's mouth was wet, hot, and _around Jared's cock_ , and Jared could only shout as he kicked one leg ineffectively, and grabbed at the sheets with both of his hands. "Jensen, holy _fuck_ ," he gasped. "That's... Oh, fuck, that's good. Why the hell didn't I do this before?"

Jensen slowly pulled back and let Jared's cock slip free. "You were waiting for me," he said matter-of-factly, then grinned. "I want your hands in my hair, okay? I want you to fuck my mouth." Then he bent and wrapped his lips around just the head of Jared's cock and sucked, working his tongue against the leaking tip.

Slowly, Jared let go of the sheets and slid his hands across Jensen's shoulders, fingers trailing up his neck and then carding through short, soft hair. Jensen was moving his head up and down slightly, and Jared took the hint, lifting his hips and pushing deeper with a gasp. The feeling of sinking into someone like that made Jared's eyes roll back as he found a halting, broken rhythm, fucking Jensen's mouth.

"Fuck, I'm not going to last," Jared warned. He could feel his skin tightening, and his body didn't care that it was early on, wasn't listening as he tried to hold back as much as he could. "It's too good, Jensen."

Grinning as he let Jared slip free again, Jensen curled his fingers around Jared's cock and stroked, not firmly enough for Jared to come, just a light tease. "Well, then," Jensen murmured. "You have a decision to make. If you want to fuck me, I'll stop. Or I can suck you off and then fuck you." His tongue darted out to lick at the precome leaking from Jared's cock, almost as if he couldn't help himself. "We'll eventually do everything, I promise. But what do you want to do first?"

Jared _whimpered_. "You want me to pick?" he asked on a desperate groan. "Fuck, I want everything. Want you, Jensen. Want to... want to fuck you, first." He could feel the blush, hot and ridiculous on his face, and where the blood was coming from while his cock was this hard, Jared would never know. He flung an arm over his face, trying to hide his embarrassment "Please?"

"God, I was hoping you'd say that." Jensen gave Jared's length one last slow lick before scrambling for the night table. He rifled through the drawer quickly and produced a condom and a tube with a triumphant noise, then shoved his pants off, dropping them on the floor before laying down on his back next to Jared. "Pay attention, baby," he said again, "I'll do this this time but I want you to prep me next time. I can't wait to feel your fingers stretching me open, but I can do it faster, and I want you inside me as soon as possible."

Slicking two fingers with clear gel from the tube, Jensen spread his legs wide, hooking one leg over one of Jared's, and shoved both fingers inside himself. His eyes closed as his fingers sank into his body and he sucked in a hard breath. "Been awhile," he panted, "but I'll, oh _god_." Jensen's mouth fell open as he cried out and fucked down into his own hand.

Jared knew what that was, knew what hitting your own prostate felt like. He just couldn't believe how hot it was to watch. He rolled onto his side, one hand on the inside of Jensen's thigh, rubbing. "Can I help?" he asked in a low voice, kissing Jensen's neck. "Done it on myself lots of times."

Jensen reached almost desperately with his free hand, fingers curling around Jared's bicep. "Touch me," he growled, _begged_. "Put your fingers inside me, anything, _please_. Just touch me."

"God yes," Jared groaned, kneeling between Jensen's legs and grabbing the lube, slicking up his fingers quickly. He hesitated, not sure if it would be any different on someone else, and then pressed one finger into Jensen, sliding it alongside Jensen's own. Jensen was hot and tight around their three fingers before he slowly pulled his hand free, giving Jared the room to add two more of his own fingers, twisting and stretching Jensen like he liked to do to himself, and Jensen rode his hand smoothly, working up and down with him, almost hypnotic.

Jared started when he felt Jensen's hands on his cock, completely immersed in fingering Jensen. He felt something cool and strange, and saw the open and empty condom wrapper to the side. "Oh, _god_ ," he gasped as Jensen rolled the condom down with slightly shaking hands, and smeared some lube along Jared's wrapped length. Jared's fingers curled hard, pressing firmly against Jensen's prostate. "Tell me you're ready, Jensen," he begged. "Never wanted anything more in my life. Please, tell me you're ready."

"I'm ready," Jensen said roughly, "I'm, god, please, I -" He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, obviously fighting for control. "You know what to do, right? I know you've never done this before but I also know you're very smart. Slow but steady, okay? _Please_ , Tristan. I need you so much."

There was something so brittle in Jensen's voice, and Jared leaned over, kissing him. "Slow and steady," he repeated. "Got it." Then he sat up, lower lip caught between his teeth and lined himself up against Jensen's entrance. It took a couple of tries, especially since Jared was so nervous he was shaking, but then he somehow found the right angle, and he pushed forward, into Jensen's body.

Jensen took a sharp breath in through his nose and closed his eyes, neck arching as he pushed his head hard into the pillow. "Keep going," he gasped, "it'll be good, I'll be... god. God, you're huge."

"Sorry," Jared panted, but kept pushing in, deeper and deeper until he was as far as he could go. He fell forward onto his hands, mouth open and arms trembling. "You feel so good, Jensen. So tight and hot, and _fuck_ , I want to... I need to do something." He swallowed thickly. "Move. I need to move. Don't want to hurt you, sorry."

Jensen mewled and lifted his hips in an aborted thrust. "Not hurting just, just so full. God, Tris, it's perfect." He panted and ran his hands lightly, frantically up and down Jared's arms. "Move, do it, baby, make me feel you for days."

Jared groaned and nodded. "Okay," he said, and pulled back, a kind of jerky motion that had his hips trying to slam back in before he was even halfway, and then he slid back in as fast as he dared. He tried again, a little smoother, a little harder, but it still wasn't quite enough. He breathed deep, smelling Jensen and sweat and sex, and let his head drop as he tried again. But the mind-spinningly amazing feeling of being inside of Jensen was too much for him, and Jared's hips stuttered again. "I... can't," he finally said. "Too good, Jensen. Too much."

"You can," Jensen breathed. He hooked a leg around Jared's hip and lifted up. "Just move with me, okay? It gets so much better when you just let go." He ran his hands over Jared's shoulders and up to cup his face. "Take a deep breath first and then we'll do this."

Nodding, Jared wished desperately that he wasn't still wearing the mask. But he wasn't going to stop to do that now, so he just took a deep breath like Jensen told him to, held it for a second, and then let it go. Surprisingly, that helped Jared take a sort of step back from the hard and sharp edge he'd been riding from the beginning, from the second Jensen put his hands on him. "Is it always so..." he trailed off and shook his head. "So?"

Jensen searched his face for a moment and then smiled faintly. "No," he said softly. "It isn't."

Jared felt his heart expand almost to bursting at that. He wanted to tell Jensen just how full of love he was, but instead he just grinned down at him and moved back slowly, somehow finding the presence of mind to move with rhythm, even if it wasn't a very hard one. "Good," he said, eyes locked on Jensen's face. "Perfect."

"Yes," Jensen gasped. His eyelids fluttered. "It is. That's good, Tris, nice and steady and harder whenever you're ready, okay? Let your body take over."

"Easy for you to say," Jared huffed on a laugh, but he did as Jensen told him, and kept moving steadily. It felt so good, Jared could feel the skin on his arms prickling, a coil of tension winding just that much tighter with each thrust. He wanted to let his head hang, but at the same time, Jared didn't want to miss a moment of Jensen's face like this, so naked and honest and more beautiful than anything Jared had ever seen before. With a groan, Jared shifted, sinking harder and faster into Jensen by accident, and then it was so simple to move harder and faster, picking up speed as he fell into the natural movements of their bodies together.

Jensen writhed under Jared, reduced to incoherent pleading as he clutched at Jared with hands and body. "Perfect," he finally gasped, "god, Tristan. Just like that." He worked one hand between them to grab his own cock, tugging and stroking in time with Jared's thrusts.

"J... Jensen," Jared moaned, eyes barely open at all now. He was losing himself in this, drowning in how amazing it felt. How amazing Jensen felt. The need to come was back and stronger than before, and Jared gave up holding against it. His eyes fluttered shut the rest of the way and he slammed in harder than ever, a broken sound coming from somewhere deep in his chest. "I can't wait long," he gasped, his entire world narrowed down to Jensen.

"Don't wait." Jensen's voice was strained as he pushed back into Jared, and the hand still grasping at Jared's arm slid up to curl around the back of his neck and squeeze. "Come, baby, please, let me feel you fall apart. I'll catch you, I promise."

Jared knew Jensen would do as he'd said, so he let go, managing a few hard, jerking thrusts before his world exploded in white hot sparks, electric and terrifying and amazing. He tried to say Jensen's name, but Jared wasn't all that sure if it was coherent at all. Instead, he just focused on holding himself up, shuddering and gasping as he loomed over Jensen, cock twitching inside of him.

Jensen cried out and jerked himself faster, managing only a few hard strokes before he convulsed under Jared, his ass clamping down and squeezing Jared's cock while Jared was still shaking. He hooked his arm fully around Jared's neck and tightened his leg around his hip, easing them to their sides and pressing his forehead to Jared's as they both gasped for air. "Okay? You okay?"

Nodding, Jared swallowed hard, trying to put himself back together again as he clung to Jensen. "I've never felt anything like..." he said, and then managed a smile, because he felt fantastic. Happier than anyone else in the world could possibly have ever felt before. "Wow," he finished simply, grinning even more broadly.

"Yeah," Jensen grinned back, and then laughed softly, still out of breath. "You're a quick learner. And I have a few other things I want to teach you." His smile turned wicked and sensual. "A lot of other things."

Jared knew that wouldn't happen, though. He knew this was nothing more than a stolen night, and that he couldn't be greedy now. His smile softened as he thought about how nice it would be if he could have all the future that Jensen was talking about. he reached up and cupped the side of Jensen's face in one hand, and pulled him in for a slow kiss.

"That sounds perfect," he murmured against full lips. "I'd love that."

Jensen kissed him back, their lips sliding and clinging as they broke apart briefly before coming together again. Long hazy minutes later Jensen finally pulled away, fingertips edging under Jared's mask. "I want to see you, Tristan."

A part of Jared wanted to say no, because who he was wasn't Tristan. He was Jared, a man who might as well not exist, and this night was all Tristan's. But at the same time, Jared couldn't deny Jensen such a simple thing. He wasn't sure he could deny Jensen _anything_ at this point; if he'd thought he was in love with Jensen's soul before, he knew he had completely fallen head over heels for the whole package now.

"The outside is just wrapping, you know," he said, pulling off his mask slowly. "It's the inside where you find what matters, Jensen."

"Suddenly philosophical, are we?" Jensen smirked and stiffened and something hard flashed in his eyes before he took a breath and obviously forced himself to relax into Jared again. "You just. You sound a lot like my dad." He shook his head and let his fingers wander over Jared's face, eyes following the slow movement. "It certainly doesn't hurt when the outside matches the in, Tristan. You're beautiful."

Jensen bit his lip and flushed as soon as the words were out of his mouth, and he hid his face in the curve of Jared's shoulder. "Now you've turned me into a total girl," he grumbled. A smile was clear in his voice when he added, "Just means I'll have to reassert my masculinity. Which means your turn to bottom. After I recover."

Jared laughed softly, holding Jensen as closely as he could. He still had the used condom on, but wasn't planning on moving to give this moment up for even a few seconds. Not for the world. "Would it make it better or worse if I told you your inside was even more beautiful than your outside?" he asked.

"Oh, much worse." Jensen pulled back to look up at Jared and laughed. "That's like saying I have a great personality. That's what you say when you're trying to trick someone into a blind date." He grimaced as he looked down between them, then reached down and took care of the condom, tying it off. "We're going to be disgusting if we don't clean up. Stay here."

Jared's grip tightened but Jensen rolled away anyway, climbing off the bed to head for the bathroom. He returned seconds later with a damp cloth which he used on them both, wiping himself with brisk motions. On Jared, however, the cloth moved much more slowly, teasing and stroking as it wiped away sweat and come. Jensen smirked at Jared as he finally finished and tossed the cloth to the floor so he could freely tangle himself around Jared again. "Now we won't be glued together when we wake up. Nothing ruins the mood for sleepy wake up sex like having to pry yourselves apart."

"I'll take your word on that," Jared said, pulling Jensen close. "It sure sounds gross."

Jensen merely hummed in agreement, eyes already closing. "Sleep," he mumbled. "Need your energy later."

"Okay," Jared said. He was wiped out from the day as it was, and having the warm, sleepy weight of Jensen wrapped around him was just too much temptation to resist. "For a few minutes, at least."

"At least," Jensen agreed. He pressed a kiss to Jared's throat and then yawned. "Lesson two will begin shortly after recess."

~*~*~

Jared woke up reluctantly. He was warm and comfortable, and felt way more relaxed than he'd felt at just about any other point of his life. But there was someone pushing at his shoulder and whuffling in his ear, and it sounded strange enough that Jared reluctantly cracked an eye open to see Person-Sadie standing beside Jensen's bed, a worried look on her face.

Person-Sadie. Jensen. Sera. _Midnight_. Jared detangled from Jensen and sat up to look at the clock, heart skipping a beat when he saw he had less than ten minutes to get out of there before he would have to explain why he was there in filthy clothes with only a couple of dogs and a wheelbarrow for company. Moving quickly, Jared pulled on his clothes, but just scooped the boots into his arms. There was no way he'd get them on in time. 11:53.

The mask was gone, and Jared just shoved the headscarf into his shirt as he stumbled over Jensen's costume pieces to get back to the bed. He debated for a few seconds on waking Jensen to say goodbye, but looked at the clock and decided against it. 11:56.

Instead, Jared leaned over Jensen and kissed his temple. "I love you," he whispered. "And I lived a lifetime of that tonight. Thank you." There was so much more to do, to say... but no time for any of it. 11:57.

Stumbling again, Jared dropped his boots, snatched up the armful of leather and hurried out of Jensen's bedroom. He ran down the stairs and bolted for the door, almost hearing the countdown to midnight in his head like some sort of demented New Year's Eve. At 11:58, Jared slipped out the front door, heart stopping and feet speeding up when he thought he heard someone call his name. Down the steps he ran, Person-Sadie hot on his trail as Person-Harley held the limo door open for him.

11:59. The limo peeled off into the night, taking the curves of the Ackles driveway almost too fast, but barely fast enough.

12:00. At the stroke of midnight, the limo melted away, leaving Jared sitting in a wheelbarrow half a block from Jensen's house. The dogs were dogs again, and Jared's clothes had gone back to the ruin of his father's suit. In his arms, though, he still clutched a single leather boot.

~*~*~


	3. Chapter 3

~*~*~

Jensen stormed through the house, fingers curled tightly around the shaft of Tristan's boot. Which was all that was left of the ungrateful little fucker and the only thing Jensen had to prove that the ungrateful little fucker (who was not little at all, _god_ ) was more than just a drunken hallucination. Or a dream. Jensen's steps unconsciously slowed as he remembered the wonder on Tristan's face, the way the kid had _looked_ at Jensen. As if Jensen was wonderful, somehow, instead of just an aimless rich boy drifting from party to party and ass to ass.

He stopped completely just outside the kitchen and ran a hand over his face. Tristan had made him _feel_ wonderful. As if maybe he really could be someone important. As if he really mattered. Tristan made him feel ten feet tall and able to conquer the world. For Tristan, he would settle down and finish school, would try to be the man Tristan obviously thought he already was.

And how the hell did Tristan know what kind of man he was, anyway? Jensen knew without doubt that he'd never seen the kid before last night. He would have remembered seeing those dimples and those shoulders before. And it's not like it's easy to miss six and a half feet of gorgeous giant, servant or not. But Tristan had known who he was, more, had come to the party specifically for Jensen. Plenty of others had said that sort of thing before but had clearly and obviously meant "Jensen Ackles, son of Alan Ackles and heir to a fortune beyond imagining". Tristan seemed just to want Jensen.

Maybe that was true, or maybe Tristan was just an Oscar-worthy actor. Or maybe Jensen had been drunk. But the only way to find out was to _talk_ to him. Which meant he had to _find_ him.

"Dude, those two were really weird." Jensen startled at the sound of someone talking in the kitchen. He moved closer to the door, curious.

"With the stretch limo?"

"Yeah. They both were, I don't know. _Sniffing_."

There was a snort of laughter. "What, like glue? Coke?"

"No, not like drugs. Like they were smelling everything. Their limo, the other cars, other drivers, the trees. I swear the guy started to lift his leg like he was going to pee on the bushes but the woman smacked his shoulder and he didn't."

There was another round of laughter, and then the first voice came again. "Don't know what they were doing, but I saw them both come tearing out of the house around midnight with a half dressed pirate. Guy was huge. The woman kept telling them to hurry, that they were out of time, and then they all jumped into the limo and took off."

"They crash the party and get caught?"

"No, dude, the pirate had an invitation. I remember because I recognized Mr. Ackles's handwriting. Most of them were addressed by staff, you know? But that one he did personal."

"Ohhhhhh," the second voice said, and Jensen gritted his teeth at the smug knowing tone. "So the kid already has a new boyfriend."

"No, not that Ackles. Senior. Alan Ackles invited the pirate himself."

Jensen's jaw dropped and he spun around, sprinting through the house to his father's office. He pushed the door open and ignored the man in the trench coat sitting on the sofa, stomping right past him to throw the boot at his father's feet.

"Was he sincere? Was he seriously that far gone for me or did you hire him to try to get me to dump Chace?"

Alan's eyebrows rose as he looked up from the boot at his feet to his son's furious face. "He?"

"Don't play games with me, Dad, I _know_ he had the only invitation you personally addressed. Hell, even our _servants_ know it. I also know you don't trust Chace and would love it if we broke up." Jensen leaned down, hands braced on Alan's desk as he bent close to hiss at his father. "Did you hire him? _Was. He. Faking?_ "

"I only invited him to the party, Jensen, because I knew he wouldn't otherwise even be told about it, much less be allowed to come," Alan said quietly. "I gave him no money and no promises of any. I haven't even actually spoken to him at all for years."

Jensen stood back, stunned. It was one thing to think - _hope_ \- that Tristan really meant it, but it was another thing entirely for his father to confirm that if Tristan was faking, it wasn't because he was on Alan's payroll.

Alan sat forward, eyes intent on Jensen's face. "You liked him."

"Yeah, Dad," Jensen rolled his eyes and slumped a little, running a hand through his hair as he turned to pace. "I like him. He's, I don't know. He's like a kid. He was so glad just to be here." Jensen blushed a little and turned to give his father a pleading look, a request for reassurance that Alan hadn't seen in his son's eyes for nearly fifteen years. "He looked at me like I mattered."

A broad grin broke over Alan's face, but he scaled it back in response to the glare Jensen gave in return. "Of course you matter, son," he said, still trying to control that grin. "Honestly, Jensen, did you really doubt it?"

Jensen threw his hands up in disgust. "Number one, you _have_ to love me. You're my _dad_ , that's your _job_. Number two, yes. Dude, ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent of the people I meet want to be _friends_ ," Jensen sneered the word, "because they think they can get something. Directly from me, or from you, or, like, even a job at the company or something. Everyone wants something. No one just thinks I'm awesome, or whatever."

He turned to stomp again and stopped short at the sight of the guy in the trench coat. "Great. Now I've embarrassed myself in front of a complete stranger. Wonderful."

"I'm not a stranger, I'm an investigator," the stranger said. "And trust me - being your father does not guarantee that he loves you. He does, of course, but you should know how lucky you are."

"I know that," Jensen snapped. "Dude, you're just making it worse. And since you're an investigator, go _investigate_." He gestured to the boot. "Make yourself useful and go find Tristan. He stomped out at midnight without even saying good-bye." He turned back to his dad and caught the look of surprise on Alan's face. "What? I want him found. If he meant it, I want him. I want to go back to school with him and move in with him and grow up with him. If he didn't, if he was faking, I want to kick his ass and rip him a new asshole for making me - for. For jerking me around."

Alan watched in amazement as Jensen stomped out of his office and then turned to Misha. "Tristan? The only invite I sent personally was Jared's."

Misha smiled faintly. "Tristan is Jared's middle name. And that boot isn't a boot, it's a boat. I think Jared's the only kid big enough to wear that thing. Of course, that begs the question of why use a different name." His smile widened and he stood, crossing the room to bend and pick up the boot. "I think I'll go ask him."

~*~*~

It turned out that Jared _had_ heard someone calling his name.

And that someone had been Chace.

Dawn had been livid that he'd gone out, but when Jared refused to tell her anything other than his fairy godmother had done it, she'd had nothing else to do but lock him in his room. Once a day, Sam was to be allowed to bring him food, but Chace would loom behind her to keep her from talking to Jared, or offering him any kind of comfort for the situation. Jared felt bad for her, too, but Dawn hadn't actually fired Sam like she'd threatened, since there was no way she could have produced a stretch limo at short notice, much less the costume that Dawn and Chace had been unable to find no matter how many times they tossed his room.

Strangely enough, Jared was okay with all of this. The remaining boot was stashed in the garden shed and the bottle of cologne Sera had given him, only a few sprays used before the party, was shoved deep into the toe of a ratty running shoe. Eventually, Dawn and Chace would get tired of living with their own messes, and Jared would be let out again, and then eventually after that he would be able to take his souvenirs out of hiding when he'd have the chance to remember that night, the party that he'd barely seen with all the bright and colorful costumes. And Jensen. The way he'd smiled when he was supposed to and the way he'd smiled when he meant it, the gentle way he'd touched and the amazing amount of patience he'd shown. Jensen was brilliant, complex, beautiful, and wonderful, and so much more than the perfect Prince Charming Jared had thought he was.

And that wasn't even taking into consideration the sex, which had been more than Jared had ever dreamed it would be. Which, being as he was twenty and until very recently a virgin, he had done a lot of dreaming. He knew that a good part of it had been because it was Jensen, too, because it just had to be. Everything was because it was Jensen.

The only thing that worried Jared through all this was what had happened to Harley and Sadie. Ed had snuck up to Jared's attic room that first night, whispering through the door about how furious Dawn was, how Chace seemed angrier than he should be, and how the dogs had run off when Dawn had tried to have them caught by animal control. Jared had told the dogs to run and hide, and it seemed like they'd listened to him. He could only hope they'd find someone to take care of them like they deserved.

Someone like Jensen.

Ed had also told Jared that a man had come around the house, asking questions about Jared. It wasn't Jensen, couldn't have been the way that Ed described him with dark hair and the tan trench coat. Dawn had caught the man talking to Sam, and had stood by while Sam repeated the official story that Jared had run off like a spoiled brat. Jared wondered, briefly, who the man was, but then promptly forgot about him in favor of imagining it was Jensen.

In a way, Jared figured it was a good thing that he was locked away, because he spent a lot of time that first day alone just sighing and thinking about Jensen. One of his favorite daydreams was hearing Jensen say his name, his real name, and even just the fantasy was enough to make his chest warm. He had other kinds of daydreams, but those were for later in the night, when the house was asleep and he was alone in his room, with just his memories and his fantasies to keep him warm.

That night, Jared kept a rickety chair braced under the locked doorknob to stop anyone who might want to come in and inflict a little extra punishment, like Chace. Who would probably try to kill Jared it he knew the full extent of what he'd done. And even that wasn't enough to make him regret a single, perfect moment.

It was on the morning of the second day that Jared finally let himself wish that Jensen would come find him. He held his breath, remembering how Sera had said magic worked when you wished for it, but when the door was not burst down by an avenging Jensen, Jared just shook his head and grabbed a book to read, hoping he wouldn't run out of reading material before Dawn got over her snit.

~*~*~

Alan wondered if he was being too obvious. He stared down at the boot on his desk until he could control his expression. The disgust immediately followed by curiosity when Dawn walked into his office and saw the boot spread across his desk (and good lord, Misha had been right - it was a boat, leather spread from one side to the other nearly edge to edge) almost made him laugh.

"Mr. Ackles?" Dawn said, pointing one perfectly manicured fingernail at the boot. "If you don't mind me saying, I don't think that's your size, sir."

He schooled his expression and hoped he achieved concern and not something closer to constipation, and looked up. "No it isn't, not at all. I need to find the man whose size it is, however. Jensen is determined to file for domestic partnership with him, and the man has vanished into thin air."

A nasty, bitter look flashed across Dawn's face, but she covered it quickly with a thoughtful look, approaching Alan's desk. "You know," she said slowly, picking up the foot end of the boot, one eyebrow arching as she took in the size of it, "I could swear I saw my Chace wearing something like this the other night. And he has been spending a lot of time with your boy."

Alan managed to keep from rolling his eyes, or from mentioning the obvious fact that Jensen knew exactly who Chace was and where to find him if he'd wanted to. "Really? I don't know, Dawn. It's a really big boot."

"Chace is a tall boy," Dawn said airily. "Why don't I call him and find out? That should solve the mystery in no time." Without waiting for Alan to respond, she pulled out a slim cellphone, hit a speed-dial and waited, smiling at Alan in a way that didn't come close to reaching her eyes. "Chace, darling, it's mother," she said. "Yes, I know you have Caller ID, but it's only polite to identify yourself when you call." She paused and shook her head, giving Alan a look that clearly was supposed to be fond exasperation. "Enough about that, darling. I have a question for you; Mr. Ackles is trying to find the owner of a rather large boot that..." she trailed off, smile brightening until it rivaled the flourescent lighting in its artificial brightness. "You left a shoe behind at the party? How did you drive home without noticing that? Never mind. Well, thank you, darling. I've got to go, but I'll talk to you soon!"

She hung up and put the phone away, a false look of disbelief on her face. "Chace says thank you for finding his boot, he'd only worn them that night and drank a little too much, it seems."

Raising an eyebrow, Alan folded his hands over the boot. "I think I'd like to see Chace try the boot on, Dawn. It's a really big boot, and I don't remember Chace being _that_ tall." He managed a smile. "You understand, of course. This is my only son's happiness at stake."

"Oh, of course," Dawn says, hands suddenly fidgeting and tugging at her suit jacket. "Chace isn't home right now, but perhaps tomorrow afternoon?"

"I think I want this resolved as soon as possible, Dawn. Jensen is despondent." Alan shook his head, hoping Dawn took it as exasperation over his son and not disgust at her attempts to manipulate the situation. "He wants to access his trust fund as soon as he can, so he can find a new home for himself and his partner, start off their new life together on the right foot." Alan laughed and patted the boot, pleased at his own cheesy pun.

Dawn's smile looked more like a grimace as she laughed weakly. "Yes, well," she said. "I suppose tonight, then? Chace has classes until this afternoon and I always insist he do his homework before anything else, you know."

Alan nodded amiably, but his affable tone hardened as he spoke. "Homework is incredibly important, yes, but I want you to come get me as soon as his last class is over, Dawn. We'll go to your home together and meet him there." His smile this time did not reach his eyes. "It will only take a few minutes."

"Of course, sir," Dawn said, her mouth hardening into an unpleasant, painted line on her angular face. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get back to work." Without waiting to be dismissed, she turned on one stiletto heel and left his office, already pulling her cell phone back out before the doors closed behind her.

~*~*~

Dawn was even less happy when she arrived at Alan's office that afternoon to learn that Misha was going too, and any pleasure she may have gained from being driven to her home in Alan's limo was completely erased when she climbed in the back to be greeted by two large dogs. Alan had to turn away, unable to stifle his laughter at her reaction.

Misha grinned at him and then climbed in after her. "They're such sweet dogs," he heard Misha say. "I don't know whose they are, but they seemed to know me, or at least seemed to think I smelled familiar. They followed me home Saturday after I left your house."

Alan laughed again, then followed Misha into the limo and settled himself in for the uncomfortable ride. The dogs got more excited the closer they got to the Padalecki home, and Dawn got more and more tight lipped. Alan smiled genially as if he didn't notice. They bounded out of the limo as soon as the driver opened the door, and Alan patted Dawn's arm. "You don't mind if they come in with us, right? I just love dogs. They're such friendly animals. Studies show they can ease stress in their owners, did you know?"

"I'm afraid I've never been much for pets, sir," Dawn said curtly. "But if you want to bring them in, by all means. Will your son be joining us, by the way? Since he's so taken with Chace, I'd think he'd want to be here for the confirmation."

"I'm not sure where Jensen is," Alan said absently. "Lead the way, Dawn. This is your home, after all."

Clearly reluctant, Dawn led Alan, Misha and the dogs into the house, directing them to the downstairs study. "I'll just go get Chace," she said, bowing out of the room before anyone could stop her.

Alan watched her go and then turned to Misha. "Does she really think Jensen wouldn't have recognized Chace, even in costume? Or does she just think I'm dumb enough that it wouldn't occur to me?"

Misha shrugged. "I think she's desperate and selfish, and I think perhaps it hasn't occurred to her in her greed."

"I think I like that explanation better," Alan said with a short laugh. "I'd rather not believe she thinks I'm stupid." Hands in his pockets, Alan paced as they waited for Dawn to return. "Ms. Ferris said Jared is locked in his room?"

"Yes," Misha said sourly, "apparently Dawn locked him in some time Saturday morning. She and Chace have been searching his room and he's allowed scraps of food and limited water once a day. The woman was clearly aching to vent, but that's all she was able to say before Dawn came to see who was at the door."

Alan scowled. "Even if Jared isn't the Tristan we're looking for, we're getting him out of here. He's certainly old enough to be on his own and I want to help him. It's ridiculous for a child to be treated that way, much less an adult. And I feel so ashamed that I didn't even wonder where he was after high school."

Misha sighed. "You're going to help him now, Alan, that's all you can do. This is not your fault, it's _hers_. And we're here to fix it." They stopped talking and looked at the door at the sharp sound of stiletto heels coming closer.

The study doors opened, and Dawn strode in with Chace close behind. Chace was a tall young man, it was true, but one look at his feet was enough to find that there was no way the boot was his. Still, he stood there confidently, face daring anyone to contradict him or his mother.

"I hear you've found my boot," Chace said, and was interrupted by Ed bursting into the room.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Ed said to his mother, stopping when he saw they had company. "Oh. Sorry."

"Ed, dear heart, go be somewhere else, would you?" Dawn said, her voice thick with insincere sweetness. "This is about your brother."

Chace snorted and muttered something about Ricky Martin, earning him a glare from Ed, who looked around the room. His eyes lingered on the boot, and then the dogs longest of all. The male dog, Harley, whined when he saw Ed, thumping his tail against the carpet, but stayed where he was, next to Alan. Ed straightened, throwing his shoulders back. "You know, I've just suddenly remembered I have somewhere very important to be," he said, nodding goodbye to Dawn and the guests. "Mother. Mr. Ackles."

Alan watched, bemused, as Dawn's younger son almost raced from the room. "Well. Rather excitable boy, isn't he?" Alan shook his head and held up the boot. "Well, Chace, let's get this farce over with, shall we?"

~*~*~

Jared was stretched out on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. There had been some sort of commotion on the second floor a few minutes ago, but then it had quieted. Since no one had come up to scream at him, he assumed it had nothing to do with him, the dogs, or his field trip. Still, he was curious, even if there wasn't anything he could do about it.

He didn't hear footsteps, but Jared couldn't miss the click of the lock being released at his door. He sat up as the door opened slowly, Ed slipping into the room and closing the door behind him.

"This has gone fucking far enough," Ed said. "Jensen's father is downstairs, with your dogs and a boot that only your giant foot could fit, and Mother and Chace are pretending the boot is his."

"Chace?" Jared snorted. He had long since outgrown any possible hand-me-down footwear from Chace. "As if."

Ed grinned. "Yeah, I know," he said. "The point is, Jensen's father says Jensen wants to live happily ever after with the owner of that boot, and you know what that means to Mother and Chace. And I think I know what that means to you, too," he added.

Jared was grinning like a fool, he was sure of it. But Jensen wanted to be with him, and so maybe he was getting his wish after all. Or maybe it was still the magic cologne... Jumping out of bed, Jared dove to the floor grabbing the shoe holding the cologne. He sprayed himself a few times, and then grabbed Ed in a bear hug.

"Thank you," Jared said in his ear. "You've been the best brother I could have wished for."

"Put me down, you bigfoot," Ed grumbled, shoving at Jared. But he was grinning as he did it, so Jared knew it was alright. "You should get to the downstairs study before they leave," he suggested.

"I just have to grab something first," Jared said, already hurrying down the attic stairs as quickly as he could. "I'll be right there."

Jared ran down the servants' stairs and out the back door, stumbling over his own feet to get to the garden shed. He hadn't even put shoes on in his hurry, but that didn't matter now. Not when his wish, his _happiness_ was so close to coming true. He grabbed the sack with the other boot in it and turned around, running back into the house.

He took the back hallway to the study, up to the side door, and could hear voices inside, including Chace's.

"I was wearing thick socks the other night!" Chace was saying, almost shouting.

"Didn't you tell me it was the only pair they had at the store?" Dawn asked in a voice so laced with panic and artificial love it made Jared a little sick to his stomach.

"Enough!" The man's voice wasn't a shout but it was hard and firm and cut through the noise like a knife. "Enough, Dawn. The boots are several sizes too big, the shaft is flopping around his leg and the top is cutting directly into his crotch. It's absolutely ludicrous to expect me to believe he could possibly own those boots. It's _over_."

There was a sound between a familiar bark and a growl, and Chace yelped, "Give that back, you mutt!" just as Jared pushed the door open to the strangest thing he'd seen in a long time.

Chace, with a sneaker on one foot and a giant, thick wool sock on the other was grabbing on to the top of Jared's missing boot, trying to yank the other end free from Harley's massive jaws. Sadie was dancing around the impromptu tug-of-war, barking and wagging her tail, clearly cheering Harley on. The man who could only be Jensen's dad was standing off to the side with a vaguely familiar-looking man in a trench coat, the both of them obviously trying desperately not to laugh.

"Stop it!" Dawn screeched, grabbing the middle of the boot. There was a loud tearing sound, and the boot finally came apart under the fray, sending Chace and Dawn stumbling backwards, and Harley over to Mr. Ackles's feet, happily chewing on his portion.

Mr. Ackles gave up and began laughing, crouching to pet Harley as the dog kept gnawing. He looked up at the man in the trench coat who was grinning broadly. "I guess we'll never find the boot's owner now, Misha."

"Excuse me?" Jared said hesitantly, stepping further into the room. He pulled his boot, unchewed, out of the bag, and lifted it up. "But if you want, I have another one."

Mr. Ackles came to his feet slowly, ignoring Dawn and Chace entirely as he stepped over Harley and crossed the room to Jared. "Somehow, I am not at all surprised to hear that." He raised his hand to Jared's shoulder and squeezed it as he searched Jared's face. "You look like your father, Jared. And I can see that you don't remember me at all." His eyes teared up just a little, and he lifted his hand from Jared's shoulder to curl around the back of his neck. "I am so sorry for everything, son. I had no idea what she had done to you after Gerald died, and if I had I would have put a stop to it. You will never be dependent on her in any way, ever again. No matter what happens, Jared. I promise."

Dawn was sputtering, and Chace was glowering, the both of them being blocked off from interrupting by a determined-looking Ed, and Jared blinked slowly, wondering if maybe he'd fallen asleep upstairs. "You knew my father?" he asked, starting with the easy part.

"We worked together," Mr. Ackles confirmed. "In fact, he used to bring you with him once in awhile. We were friends. He was a good man, your father. He would be proud of you, of your strength." Hand still around the back of Jared's neck, he turned to give Dawn a stony glare. "Gerald gave you the greatest gift he had to offer. His son. And you couldn't see past your selfish greed to cherish him the way you should have. You deserve the ruin you have made of your life, but you won't take Jared down with you." He turned back to Jared and smiled. "Let's make this official," he said, smile broadening into a grin. "I have to see you get that boot on. I don't think I've ever seen so much leather in one shoe."

Jared laughed. "I know I haven't," he said, sitting down in the nearest chair and wrestling the boot on. "I don't know how I got it off in the first place," he huffed, grinning as his foot settled and he stood, pulling up the shaft of the boot. It got stuck at his knee, thanks to the jeans he was wearing, and Jared could only shrug and grin sheepishly. "It's too small to pull up further without, um, tighter pants, and I don't have the ones from the other night anymore. Sorry."

Mr. Ackles clapped Jared on the shoulder again and laughed. "That's good enough for me," he said, then sobered a little and raised an eyebrow. "I'm curious about something, though, Jared. Why did you tell my son that your name was Tristan?"

"Yes, _Jared_ ," came a new voice from the doorway. Everyone looked up to see Jensen, legs crossed at the ankle as he leaned against the door frame, arms crossed, unsmiling. "I'm curious about that as well."

Jared's heart caught in his throat at the sight of Jensen, at the sound of his own name coming from those lips, even if it was laced with scorn. He couldn't stop himself, either, from smiling broadly at Jensen, so happy and so full of love and suddenly so sure that it would all work out that nothing, not Dawn, or Chace, or even Mr. Ackles mattered for a few thundering heartbeats. But Jensen deserved an answer to his question, one Jared had asked himself a hundred times over the past few days.

"I'm not really sure," he admitted with a shrug as he tugged the boot off again. "I think... I think it's because the costume and the limo and the party, none of it was me. I'm nobody, Jensen. For one evening I got to pretend I was somebody, and I got more than I could have hoped for. And, of course," he added with a self-depreciating grin, "there's the fact you're dating my step-brother, which could have been awkward if you knew who I was."

Jensen straightened and started to slowly cross the room toward Jared. "I'm not dating Chace. He was just a means to an end." Jensen shrugged one shoulder and ignored both the scandalized squeaks Dawn was making and the death glare Chace was sending his way. He stopped mere inches from Jared and looked up into his eyes. "Most importantly, you aren't nobody. Jared, you're smart, and generous, and incredibly amazing. And no matter what you call yourself, you're the man I, god. God, Jared, I love you. And you _left_ me." His expression finally relaxed into a smile. "You are totally going to have to make that up to me, you know."

"I was planning on it," Jared said, grinning broadly as he closed the space between them, wrapping his arms around Jensen. "And I love you, too," he added before ducking his head and kissing Jensen thoroughly, right there in front of all those people. Not that they mattered, because it was all Jensen. Nothing else could matter right then, when Jared's world was absolutely perfect and standing a good chance of staying that way.

Jensen kissed Jared back for a long time, until they were finally interrupted by Jensen's dad. "As much as I enjoy knowing you'll finally be happy, this really isn't the place for this," he said, raising an eyebrow at Jensen and then winking at Jared.

"You're right, Dad." Jensen laughed. "And for once, I don't really mind admitting that." He turned to Jared as his dad chuckled, hand running absently up and down Jared's arm. "Pack whatever you want to bring. You are not spending another night in this house ever again."

"Excuse me!" Dawn's shrill voice cut in. "This is my house!"

Jared turned to look at his step-mother, more than a little bit of him wishing she hadn't regained the power of speech. "Only until the bank forecloses on you for the first, second, and third mortgages," he said, and then shook his head, but didn't let go of Jensen. "You know, I still remember the day you came here. I was so ready to love you as my mother. And I _believed_ you all those times you told me you were all I'd ever have." He looked down at Jensen and smiled. "She was wrong. And I don't need anything here, not really. Nothing's mine, anyhow."

Jensen smirked. "Somehow I think she's almost always wrong." He leaned in to press a quick kiss to Jared's mouth, then pulled away, grabbing Jared's hand and leading him from the room without another word.

Alan watched them go with a fond smile on his face, then turned to Dawn. His expression immediately became cold. "You have a choice, Dawn. You can remain on my payroll at a much reduced salary if you join the custodial team. Chace is welcome to do so as well. Otherwise you're on your own. Keeping your current position is not an option. You have two weeks to decide, at which time I will decide for you if you have not." He turned to Ed and smiled again. "You, I'll help. If you'd like to come with us, we can talk."

Ed looked from Alan to Dawn and Chace, who were gaping like a pair of landed fish. "They're my family," he said slowly, and then looked at Alan again. "Not that you'd have known it the last five years or so. I think I'd like to come with you, Mr. Ackles."

"Edward!" Dawn said in shock. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Looking for new gardeners to screw, mother," Ed said coolly. "I'll go pack."

Alan stifled a laugh, turned it into a cough. "Misha," he said, turning away from Dawn dismissively, "I think I'll have to give in and actually find a housekeeper now that my household is expanding. Do you think Ms. Ferris might be interested in a new position?"

Misha didn't bother hiding the broad grin on his face. "I think she might at that, Alan. Should I go ask her?"

"You'd damn well better believe I would be," Sam said, bursting in the room. "You'll need someone who has an inkling what feeding Jared can do to your grocery list."

"That is definitely a lot of boy to feed," Alan agreed cheerfully. "We can talk salary in the limo on the way over. If you'd like to go pack?" He smiled genially at everyone as Sam bustled quickly out again, happy that he was getting his own way, and getting a little back at Dawn on Jared's behalf. "I think we'll just wait here until everyone who's coming is ready to go, Misha. I wouldn't want anything to accidentally... happen. To anyone." His smile widened at Dawn's incoherent sputtering, and he shook his head as he caught Chace's dumb stare. "Or maybe we can wait in the foyer instead."

Grabbing the dogs' collars, Alan wandered out into the foyer with Misha on his heels to wait.

~*~*~

Jensen refused to let go of Jared's hand even as he was driving, tangling their fingers together and making Jared help him shift gears. They were halfway back to the house - back _home_ \- when Jensen finally spoke. "You gonna tell me why you left?"

Jared opened his mouth, closed it, and opened it again only to laugh slightly. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said. "The short version is that there would have been some really uncomfortable questions if I'd stayed."

"Questions from who?" Jensen squeezed Jared's fingers. "And of course I'd believe you." He shot Jared a fond look before turning his attention back to the road. "You are really too honest for your own good."

"Questions from _everyone_ ," Jared said, and sighed. "It just sounds so insane when I say it out loud, and I lived it." He paused. "You sure you want to know?"

"Well, not if you really don't want to tell me, but yes. I want to know everything about you, I want to know how you knew who I was, why you came to the party for me and how you got there and where you got the fantastic costume. Everything."

"It started when I saw you petting Harley and Sadie," Jared said, smiling at Jensen. "That's when I fell for you, because I saw how gentle and patient and kind you really were. So when the invitation came, I knew I had to see you, find out why I'd received one personally." He bit his lip and blushed hotly. "And this is where it gets weird, and I swear to you that I'm not supposed to be medicated or anything, but it turns out I have a fairy godmother."

Jensen choked on a laugh. "A fairy godmother? You're sure about the drugs?" He sent Jared a grin that was not quite disbelieving, but not quite believing either. "And when did you see - oh." Jensen grimaced. "When I was there for dinner." He squeezed Jared's hand again. "I wish I'd seen you too. I wish I'd met you sooner."

"You wouldn't have," Jared said quietly. "I had to stay out of sight of company at all times. Dawn didn't want to have to deal with awkward questions, I guess." He squeezed Jensen's hand back. "Still, would have been nice to meet you without magic."

"The magic might have been the means," Jensen said with a raised eyebrow that said he still wasn't sure he believed it, "but she didn't make me fall in love with you. You did that all on your own." He turned off the main road into the long driveway leading to his - now _their_ \- home, accelerating a little more than maybe he should in a driveway. He squeezed Jared's fingers again and smiled. Jensen couldn't wait to let Jared start making it up to him for disappearing the way he did.

Jared leaned across the car and kissed Jensen's neck. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of hearing you say that," he confessed.

Jensen grinned. "Then I won't get tired of saying it." He pulled to a stop in the circular driveway right in front of the door, reluctantly releasing Jared's hand so they could both get out of the car, but grabbing it again as soon as he rounded the car to Jared's side so he could pull Jared up the stairs and into the house. Not that Jared was resisting - he was right there with Jensen, and they entered the house side by side and headed directly for the stairs. Jensen stopped them on the landing and pressed Jared into the wall, pushing his hand up under Jared's shirt, fingers ghosting over warm skin. "Hmmm. This feels familiar, somehow," he laughed, and leaned in to nose at Jared's neck.

"It does," Jared agreed with a laugh of his own as he turned his head to the side, making room. He spread his legs slightly so Jensen could fit between them and pulled him close with one big hand on Jensen's lower back. "Only this time it's my name you're saying."

"Jared," Jensen purred. He pressed close and shivered at the feel of that massive hand on his back. "Jared, Jared, Jared." He laughed again as he fit their mouths together, tongue sliding between Jared's lips for a slow, thorough exploration. "We'd better get to my room," he finally murmured, but instead of moving away he pressed closer and took Jared's mouth again, his hand sliding further up under Jared's shirt to curve over the ball of his shoulder. "There are so many things I want to do to you."

"That sounds good," Jared said, chasing after Jensen's lips. "I've been dreaming about you and the other night, Jensen. Sometimes when I was awake, it was almost like you were there. God, you don't know how hard the past few days have been."

Jensen let Jared catch his mouth, coaxing and teasing with his tongue until Jared took control of the kiss. "I might have an idea," he finally said. "At least you knew who I was and where to find me." He licked his own lips and rubbed his thumb over the curve of Jared's and managed a smile, then stepped back and pulled his hand out of Jared's shirt. "Sorry, I know it's not your fault, but I just. I hated waking up alone. I thought, well. Thought you'd just used me, or something."

"No, never," Jared said, cupping the sides of Jensen's face in his hands, kissing him. "I had to leave before the spell ended, or I'd never have gone at all. I didn't mean to hurt you," he added, eyes wide and soulful. "I'm so sorry. I love you."

"I know, I really do know that now," Jensen said. He curled his fingers around Jared's wrists and kissed the center of each of his palms. "I'm not at all used to someone who just wants _me_ , Jared. Everyone wants something, but you - " Jensen shook his head, embarrassed. "You just want me," he whispered, then laughed softly. "And look at us, standing out here in the hall being girls when we could be naked in my bed having much more fun."

Jared laughed at that, and turned his hand to lace their fingers together. "Let's fix that," he said, tugging on Jensen's arm, leading the way with long, eager strides.

Jensen followed just as eagerly. "I see you remember the way," he said, not pushing ahead of Jared until they reached his room. He shoved the door open and then locked it behind them. "What else do you remember?"

"Lots of things," Jared said, blushing bright red as he pushed Jensen against the door and knelt at his feet. "I remember this," he said, closing his eyes and rubbing his cheek against Jensen's cock through his jeans. "Don't think I'll be as good at it as you, though."

"I'll let you practice as much as you want," Jensen moaned. He curled his fingers through Jared's hair. "And enthusiasm counts for a lot. Jared." He waited until Jared looked up and then smiled. "I love you. It's all going to feel awesome. And we're still wearing all our clothes." His smile widened into a sly grin. "What are you going to do about that?"

In answer, Jared leaned back, grabbed his shirt by the back of the collar, and pulled it off in one fluid movement. Then he moved in and unbuckled Jensen's belt, unbuttoned his fly, and slid the jeans and boxers down Jensen's legs. He got stuck on Jensen's shoes, and bit his lip in concentration, coaxing Jensen to lift one leg at a time, pulling the shoes off Jensen's feet before tugging his jeans off too. He looked slowly up, eyes lingering hotly on Jensen's cock, and licked his lips.

"How... how's that?" he asked, sliding his hands up Jensen's thighs and around back to cup his ass.

Jensen grinned. "It's an awesome start." He pulled his hands free of Jared's hair reluctantly to tug his own t-shirt off over his head, then had his fingers tangled in the soft brown strands again before the shirt hit the floor. Jensen wished Jared would take charge, that he would realize that he could actually have what he wanted, that it was okay, but Jensen got the feeling Jared hadn't had anything he wanted for a long time. It would take time, but Jensen would teach him to ask and maybe even to take. But for now... "Now what?"

"Fuck, you're gorgeous," Jared murmured, looking up the length of Jensen's body. His face was right next to Jensen's groin, and Jared closed his eyes as his nuzzled him, lips teasingly close to Jensen's prick. "Can I taste you?" he asked, breath cool on Jensen's sensitized flesh.

"If you want," Jensen whispered back. He slid his hands over the back of Jared's head to knead his shoulders. "Do you want to do this here? The bed's so close." Jensen curled forward, bent to kiss Jared's hair. "I want to feel you pressing me into the mattress, baby. Want to feel you against me shoulders to knees. But I can wait if you want to stay here."

Jared laughed softly. "I guess I got a little ahead of myself," he said softly. "I just want to make you feel as good as you did for me. And it was so good, Jensen." He kissed a slow line along Jensen's hip, moving down and in. He wrapped his fingers around Jensen's length, stroking him slowly. "Have never felt as good in my life as I do when I'm with you."

Jensen's breath caught in his throat and he straightened up to lean against the wall. "Not ahead of yourself," he whispered, biting back a desperate sound when Jared finally nosed at his cock. "Your pace, remember? Whatever you want."

"I just want you," Jared murmured, kissing up Jensen's length slowly. He reached the top and flickered out an experimental tongue, tasting Jensen. Humming quietly, Jared wrapped his lips around the head, sucking gently and looking up at Jensen through his shaggy brown fringe.

"You got me," Jensen croaked. "God, that feels good." His fingers stroked and petted through Jared's hair as Jared teased and tasted, mouth and tongue becoming more sure and confident on Jensen's dick with each ragged needy noise Jensen made.

Slowly, Jared opened his mouth more, taking more of Jensen in. He only got about halfway down before he coughed and pulled back, lips slightly swollen and shiny with spit. Smiling almost shyly, Jared shook his head.

"Sorry," he said, kissing the crown of Jensen's dick again. "I can tell I'm going to need a lot of practice on this."

Jensen laughed softly. "I promise - you can practice as much as you like. It will surely be a difficult thing for me to bear," he teased, "but somehow I will hold up under the strain." His hands drifted down to caress Jared's face, fingers teasing at his lips. "I love your mouth, Jay. I love the way it feels against mine, or on my dick, or on my skin. I love the way you taste me, like you can't imagine a better flavor. And you touch me like I'm precious." Jensen bit his lip as his face heated up. "I'm going to shut up now, sorry."

Smiling broadly, dimples out in full effect, Jared stood up and cupped the back of Jensen's neck. "You're the most precious thing I've ever touched," he said, rubbing the side of his nose against Jensen's. "The most wonderful taste I've ever had." He kissed Jensen, lingering, tongue slipping easily into Jensen's mouth with a soft noise of pleasure. "Can we... can we go to bed now? I'm so hard I think I'm dizzy."

"That's a lot of dick to fill," Jensen said, reaching down to palm Jared through his jeans. "I wouldn't be surprised if you didn't have any blood left anywhere else." He kissed Jared again and began walking him backwards as their lips moved together. "But I won't let you fall."

Jensen figured pushing didn't count as falling, and as soon as the back of Jared's legs hit the mattress he pushed and laughed as Jared tumbled back and bounced. He was climbing on top of Jared before Jared stopped bouncing, grinning down at him as he straddled Jared's hips and tugged his jeans open. "Anything you don't like, tell me," Jensen said firmly as he reached inside and curled his fingers around Jared's length. "Anything you _do_ like, tell me. Anything you want to try, tell me. Otherwise I'll just take over and run the show, and this is really supposed to be, you know. Interactive."

Jared groaned and reached for Jensen, his hips pushing up against Jensen's hand. "All I've ever had is my hand and a couple of bad videos," he breathed against Jensen's mouth, kissing him. "I want to do _everything_."

"Oh, baby." Jensen's smile widened as he considered the possibilities. "We are gonna have _so_ much fun."

~*~*~

Jared knotted his fingers in the dark red sheets with a white-knuckle grip, barely able to breathe as Jensen raked his teeth down the curve of one of Jared's ass cheeks. The window above the bed was dark, night time having fallen at some point between Jensen giving Jared a refresher course in how to suck cock and Jared bending Jensen over the bed for a long, hard fucking that had left them both almost boneless afterward. Now, Jared's thighs were trembling from kneeling and his cock was painfully hard in Jensen's teasing hand, even though he'd come in Jensen's ass not that long ago, and Jared's moans were raspy as he begged Jensen for whatever it was he was planning next. He could even still taste Jensen's come faintly on his lips when he licked them, squirming under slow and teasing touches.

"Jen," Jared begged, the side of his face pressed against the pillow. Jensen's thumb swept over the leaking head of Jared's cock, and all Jared could manage was a grunt. "Please, just - Ah!"

Jensen's _tongue_ slid down the space between Jared's cheeks, moving lower and directly to Jared's opening. The wet glide made Jared shake, but that was nothing compared to when Jensen reached his goal and lapped at him. Jared cursed, loud and raw, and scooted forward, not sure if his sensitized nerves could handle it, much less his brain, which Jensen had already fucked to a pile of uselessness earlier.

"It's okay, Jay," Jensen soothed. He let go of Jared's cock and grabbed his hips instead, holding him steady. His thumbs reached in to tug Jared's cheeks open wider and then his tongue stroked over Jared's hole again, pausing to tease at the puckered skin before pushing inside.

Being a champion at playing with his own ass hadn't in any way prepared Jared for this. Jensen's tongue, _in his ass_ , made every muscle in Jared's body tremble, and he moaned brokenly, pressing his face into the pillow to muffle the sound. Jensen was clearly trying to kill him, Jared was sure of it. Still, Jared shifted and put his knees a little further apart, making a little more room, just in case Jensen needed it.

Jensen chuckled and pushed his tongue deeper, then began to open him up with a slow, steady fucking in and out. He worked one finger into Jared alongside his tongue and tugged at the ring of muscle, coaxing it open. "So good, baby, make you feel so good. Get you all ready and wet so I can feel you squeezing my cock inside you."

Jared groaned and pushed back a little onto Jensen's finger. "Yes, please," he said, and turned his head away from the pillow. "Please. Yes, please f-f-fill me. Want to feel you."

"You'll feel me." Jensen worked another finger inside. "Can't wait to fuck you, baby. Tell me what you want, Jay. Say 'fuck me, Jensen'. Tell me." He bent and pushed his tongue inside again, sliding it into Jared between his fingers. He moaned as his fingers curled inside Jared.

When Jensen moaned, it seemed to vibrate through Jared's whole body, and he tensed, making the fingers inside of him seem more, bigger, almost enough but still not quite there. And Jensen was still _licking_ him, something Jared had never thought would feel this damn good, but it did. He swallowed, hard.

"Want it," he gasped, fingers spreading before clenching again. "Want you, Jensen."

Jensen laughed against Jared's ass. "Come on, Jay. Not until you say it." Jensen's fingers slid free, and then there was a faint click, and Jensen's fingers were back, cool and slick as they slid back into Jared. Jensen moaned softly as he worked Jared with his fingers, then he licked Jared again from his balls to his hole. "Tell me to fuck you."

Shaking his head and suddenly glad Jensen couldn't see most of him, Jared burrowed further into the pillows to hide the hot blush he had somehow managed. "Make love to me, Jensen," he said quietly, feeling like a jackass but needing Jensen to understand how he felt about this. Jensen was going to be the only person Jared would ever sleep with, and he needed this first time at least to be something special. "Make love to me."

Jensen froze, and then suddenly his fingers were gone and his tongue was stroking up Jared's spine as Jensen's body covered him. "I will make love _with_ you, Jared. We'll do everything together, for the rest of our lives. Remember?" A wrapper rustled, the lid of the lube bottle clicked again and then the head of Jensen's cock pressed to Jared's hole. "Interactive."

"Right," Jared said, and took a deep breath, pushing up onto his forearms and looking over his shoulder at Jensen. "Rest of our lives." Feeling bold, Jared pushed back a little, wanting to feel Jensen inside, wanting to know what it was like at long last. "I love you."

"I love you." Jensen smiled. Rubbing his free hand aimlessly over Jared's back and hip, Jensen began to push inside. "Relax, baby, okay? And push back as I push in. It helps."

Jared nodded, biting his lip. He could feel Jensen pushing in, and it was way easier said than done to relax, but Jared did, breathing out and letting Jensen in. It was when Jared pushed back like Jensen told him to, though, that a tremor of pure pleasure rippled through him, and he groaned, pushing back again. He felt too full, but not painfully so, and if it hadn't felt so amazing, it might have frightened him.

"Jensen," he whimpered, pushing back until he could feel Jensen flat against his ass, as deep as he could go. "Jensen, I feel so... God, so _good_."

"I know," Jensen murmured, holding steady as Jared adjusted. "You're so tight, feel so good. Tell me when you're ready."

"I'm good," Jared said, still shaking. Jensen had been thorough and Jared had been stretched perfectly, and he knew he didn't need time. He just needed Jensen to move. "Please, Jen, I'm good."

Jensen pulled slowly out until the head of his cock tugged at the rim of Jared's hole, then he pushed back in again. Slowly out, just a little faster in, again and again, until Jensen was shaking as hard as Jared with the need for _fasterhardernow_. "Tight and hot, Jared, god, you feel so good. Feel even better with nothing between us." The next thrust in was a little harder, less smooth, as if Jensen's control had slipped. "We'll wait. I'll get tested and then when I know it's safe for you, we'll do this without the condoms. Be so good, baby."

Jared groaned at the thought of there being nothing between them at all, at how it would feel to be bare inside of Jensen, to have Jensen bare inside of him. And then Jensen hit his prostate, and Jared saw stars and completely lost his ability to think. All he knew was this, Jensen inside of him, making him feel so good. "Do that again," he begged. "Do it harder, please."

"I thought you'd never ask," Jensen groaned, and then began thrusting in earnest, setting a hard fast pace that rubbed over Jared's prostate with each push in and drag out. At first he managed words, telling Jared how good it felt, how good it was, all the things he wanted to do with Jared, how he'd never felt this with anyone else ever before. Finally, though, the words degenerated to helpless sounds interspersed with Jared's name, and Jensen reached underneath to wrap his hand around Jared's cock again. "Come," Jensen gritted out roughly, "please, come."

"Oh, god," Jared gasped, frozen between Jensen's hand and Jensen's cock, so completely overwhelmed by it all that for a moment, he had no idea what Jensen was asking him. But then the tension in Jared suddenly snapped, and he cried out, a broken sound that was almost a sob falling from his mouth as he came in hot, wet pulses that painted his stomach, the bed, and Jensen's hand. Jared felt like he was shattering, millions of pieces of Jared, all contained by Jensen, and he spasmed, cock lurching once more in Jensen's hand as he came some more, body not caring that he should be wrung dry already.

Jensen stroked him through it, buried deep inside Jared until the harshest spasms had passed and then he let go, hips jerking into Jared until he came too, teeth sinking into Jared's shoulder before he collapsed against him. They shook together, lungs heaving, and then Jensen eased back and coaxed Jared onto his side. Jensen spooned up close behind him and pressed his forehead between Jared's shoulder blades. "You okay?"

"Awesome," Jared panted in a rough voice. "Yeah. Definitely awesome. _Fuck_ , I'm glad I waited for you to do that."

"I'm glad you waited too," Jensen said, and then began to laugh helplessly. "This is one of the reasons why I love you. You're so honest and so open and you just make me laugh." He quieted after a minute or so, and then said very softly, "I never expected to be happy, not really. But I will be with you." Jensen cleared his throat. "But if I have to finish college, so do you."

Jared froze. "Jensen, I don't..." He hadn't taken any of those tests colleges required, had known when he was in school that there was no way he was getting anywhere close to even a community college. He was just a grunt, and he knew it. "I'm better off working with my hands," he said quietly. "Besides, there's no way I can afford school. She spent everything. That's why she sent Chace to hook up with you."

Jensen kissed the damp skin over his spine. "I have more money than I could ever spend on my own in my life. And you've got a quick mind. At least look into it?" Jensen's lips curved against Jared's back. "It would be totally unfair to have to do my homework all by myself when I finally have a hot boyfriend to do it with me."

Turning to face Jensen, Jared kissed him. "Is that the only thing you want to do with your boyfriend?" he asked, going for suggestive but sounding more exhausted than anything else.

"Not even close," Jensen said. He curled himself tightly around Jared and yawned. "But I don't even want to do that right now." He sucked lazily at the cord of Jared's neck. "Right now I just want to sleep with you." He paused and pulled back enough to look into Jared's eyes. "You'll be here when I wake up, right?"

"Always," Jared promised seriously, hating himself for hurting Jensen that much to begin with. "Nothing, not act of God or crazy fairy godmother could make me run from you again." He smiled crookedly and kissed Jensen softly. "I love you."

Jensen kissed Jared back slowly, then pressed their foreheads together with his own crooked smile. "I love you too. Only let's not be this sappy in public, okay? You've turned me into a total girl."

Laughing, Jared waggled his eyebrows. "You sure have funny parts for a girl," he said, still laughing. Eventually, laughter subsided to snickers. "I'll let you try to keep your tough reputation, but I'm pretty sure your cover will be blown the first time you call me 'baby' in front of people, you know."

"That's just for you," Jensen murmured, but he blushed. "Unless you don't like it." He ran his hand up over Jared's chest without meeting his eyes. "You're an even bigger guy than I am and I never asked if it bothers you."

"I like it," Jared said, words utterly failing to express the bloom of warmth he got in his chest at the thought that there was this small, private thing between them. "Makes me feel like I'm yours. Besides," he added with a grin, "I'm a big boy. I think I can pull it off."

Jensen grinned. "You really are a big boy. And you really are mine. All mine." He tugged at Jared's lip with his index finger. "Go to sleep, baby. And when we wake up, _together_ , I'll show you that fucking and making love are not mutually exclusive."

It was Jared's turn to look away in embarrassment, but he kept right on smiling. He was pretty sure, in fact, that he was going to be grinning like an idiot for a long time to come. "Sounds good," he said, looking at Jensen out of the corner of his eye, grin kicking up a notch. "I've loved everything you've shown me so far."

"I'm glad," Jensen said, and pressed their lips together again in a brief kiss, then settled himself comfortably in Jared's arms. "Sleep. Once we finally get out of bed, whenever that happens to be, I want to go look for our house."

Jared laughed. "House?"

Jensen nodded as his eyes drifted shut. "There's one pretty close to campus I've had my eye on, we'll see what you think."

There was a distinctly sleepy note to Jensen's voice, so Jared just shook his head and settled into the amazing comfort that was Jensen's mattress. "Whatever you want," he said. "So does this mean you want me live there with you?"

Jensen stiffened. "Only if you want to," he said, and then laughed awkwardly. "Now it's me getting ahead of myself. I guess I just thought..." His voice drifted off and he shrugged one shoulder. "Sorry. We can find you your own place."

"Don't be an idiot," Jared said, squeezing Jensen close. "Of course I want to. I haven't felt at home anywhere in so long until I met you. You think I'm going to give that up?" He snorted. "Not hardly. I plan on spending the rest of my life with you, and if you don't want dogs and kids, you're out of luck, Jensen."

"We have to finish school before the kids, Jay." Jensen melted into Jared again and yawned.

"Plenty of time," Jared agreed quietly, a relieved grin stretching across his face at the casual way Jensen talked about their future together. "Rest of our lives. Now, about that nap?"

Jensen made a soft, vague sound of agreement, but was already nearly asleep, draped over Jared. He hummed a few vague notes, sang "when you're fast asleep" slightly off key under his breath, and then dropped off completely in the middle of humming again.

It was the song Jared had been trying to place for years, the one his mother used to sing to him, and Jared relaxed into the bed with a happy sigh. Smiling, he ran a hand up and down Jensen's back in a slow caress, tracing the bumps of his spine and the swells of bunched muscles. He knew Jensen didn't entirely believe him about Sera, But Jared also knew that without his fairy godmother, he would never have had a chance at this happiness. It filled him so completely, lighting up corners of his heart that he had thought dead and gone, and it was the kind of happy ending that normally only happened in fairy tales.

Jared supposed, as he fell sleep, tangled with his handsome prince, that it was the right kind of ending for them after all.

~*~

Sera fanned herself as she flew away from the window, . Really, she had outdone herself this time, and she knew it. True, they were sappy and emotionally clumsy and they would hurt each other accidentally hundreds of times over the years, but the truth was that they really did belong to and with each other. Jared would go to school, she knew, because Jensen wanted him to, and that boy was powerless against anything Jensen really wanted, and he would find a rewarding career working with under privileged children. For that same reason, they would move in to the seven-bedroom mansion Jensen had been eying, thinking how it would be a snug fit for them, even though Jared would be happy in a small, suburban bungalow. Jensen would teach Jared about letting yourself have what you want, and Jared would teach Jensen about helping others have what they need. Just the thought of it had Sera all verklempt.

And they would have lots of hot, sweaty sex. Which Sera fully intended on dropping by regularly to see, because not only were Jared and Jensen a sweet pair, they were smoking in bed. Even Sera hadn't known you could bend _that_ way.

Proud of a job well done, Sera landed on the front lawn of the Ackles house, now stuffed to the seams with people and lives and love. Just like it should be. She dusted off her hands with a glittery shower of sparks, and fixed her gaze on another darkened bedroom window, a small smile forming.

Now, to see about that Ed kid...

_~fin~_


End file.
